May 23, 2025 , 10:22 am .

President Nicolás Maduro called for a vote for peace and stability in Venezuela in the face of threats of terrorism and sabotage (Photo: Venezuelan Presidential Press)
On Monday, May 19 , the Vice President of the Policy, Citizen Security, and Peace Sector, Diosdado Cabello, denounced a new conspiracy and terrorism plot in Venezuela, resulting in the arrest of 38 people, 17 of them foreigners, linked to plans to sabotage the regional elections.
These actions reportedly included explosive attacks on embassies, hospitals, police transportation units, and electrical substations. They also sought to target high-ranking government officials, social leaders of the Chavista movement, and even opposition members who will participate in the regional and legislative elections on May 25.
The objective was to create a climate of terror to portray to the international community that Venezuela is in no condition for elections and, in doing so, to sow fear among the population so they won't go out and vote. For this reason, the government decided to suspend air connections with Colombia.
Among those arrested is a Colombian citizen of Albanian origin, wanted as an international drug trafficker. Investigations reveal that this individual had a hotel reservation in Caracas paid for from the United States and had ties to the Albanian mafia operating in Ecuador.
It's known that drug trafficking and corruption networks have been operating in the Andean country since 2009, involving Danilo Carrera, brother-in-law of former President Guillermo Lasso; Rubén Cherres, Carrera's close friend and oil businessman; and high-ranking law enforcement officials. The case was revealed by the digital media outlet La Posta , whose journalists were forced to leave Ecuador under threat.
Cabello also denounced the existence of paramilitary training camps in Ecuador run by American mercenary Erik Prince, who visited the country last April to "advise" the government on security matters.
Furthermore, she blamed the coordinator of the Vente Venezuela movement, María Corina Machado, for these plans and indicated that seven of those arrested are implicated in criminal activities linked to a cryptocurrency organization that is allegedly "related to a network of narco-mayors" in the state of Zulia.
During the early hours of Friday, May 23, two days before the elections, the remaining terrorist group led by opposition extremist Juan Pablo Guanipa Villalobos, which had been in hiding since last January, was dismantled . As a result of the police operation, electrical detonators, C4 explosives, cell phones, computers, and various explosives equipment were seized.
Cabello reported that "drug trafficking is the main source of financing for these operations" and that among those captured days earlier are Albanian and Bulgarian citizens, as well as four Pakistani mercenaries with false documentation. He also indicated that the day before, a meeting had taken place with former Venezuelan police commissioner Iván Simonovis in which the installation of explosives was agreed upon, starting Friday. So far, the following have been arrested: José Ledezma, Carlos Marcano, Isidro León, Luis Gutierres, Carlos Gómez, Naomi Arnáudez, Yraida Ruiz, Enrique Gómez, Jhonnel Narváez, and Yalida Mendoza. All linked to the terrorist plot.
The violent threat that has become permanent
Machado announced on May 9 that "a very complex plan is underway to further weaken" the Venezuelan government. Furthermore, last Wednesday he urged the population to stay home on election day. For its part, the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), led by Machado, maintains its rejection and considers the call for a "hasty, unfair, and rigged" election by "a severely questioned referee."
While maintaining a politicized discourse, this extremist sector of the opposition has been openly involved in acts of criminal violence; this agenda has not diminished, although it has undergone transformations. Its mechanisms have been different and, at times, have favored street violence, as in 2014 and 2017, but recently this agenda has focused more on paramilitary violence.
Since July 28, several schemes have been dismantled , notable for their constant threats, the instrumentalization of criminal gangs such as Tren del Llano, among others, and the infiltration of Venezuelan and foreign mercenaries.
Regarding the threats, the propaganda surrounding the "Ya Casi Venezuela" campaign, which involved Prince, was led by Iván Simonovis, whom Cabello accuses of being behind the plot dismantled in recent days. Last October, a shipment of weapons linked to a violent plot similar to the case in question was seized .
The most notorious case of mercenary infiltration was Operation Gedeón in 2020; however, Spanish intelligence agents were arrested in September 2024, and other mercenaries were captured in January of this year, prior to President Nicolás Maduro's inauguration. By that date, more than 150 mercenaries of 25 nationalities had been detained in Venezuela.
It's worth remembering that, stripped of ideas and political proposals, the extremist opposition has lost any ability to rally people and has offered its followers solutions described as " magical " by other militants in that sector, which only demonstrates strength when supported by foreign sponsors.
The sponsor of the "weakening" plan being attempted is US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also operates on a broader international spectrum.
Guyana as bait for a war scenario
Specifically, the US foreign policy chief has sought to inflame differences with the Cooperative Republic of Guyana to provoke a war scenario. His visit to the neighboring country last March sought to consolidate it as a satellite state against Venezuela and a subsidiary of the oil company ExxonMobil, within the framework of the territorial dispute over the Essequibo.
Venezuela has included the state of Guayana Esequiba in its electoral call, in line with the majority vote approved in the referendum held in December 2023. Therefore, on May 25, a governor, seven deputies to the Legislative Council, and representatives to the National Assembly (AN) will be elected for the first time.
Guyana has reported two alleged attacks from Venezuelan territory, seeking to reuse the trusted resource of the false flag operation, a trademark of the United States. After the first, which occurred during the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) summit, the perpetrators were captured by Venezuelan authorities, and President Nicolás Maduro reported that they confessed to having been hired to "assassinate or kidnap" security agents from the neighboring country.
Furthermore, on April 5, Venezuela reported that a simulated attack was being planned against an ExxonMobil platform in the still-undemarcated Essequibo waters to hold the Venezuelan state responsible. Prince was also implicated in the attack.
Misión Verdad has identified a pattern accompanied by a narrative offensive from Georgetown intended to delegitimize the upcoming electoral process. During his visit, Rubio declared from Guyana that his country would not hesitate to intervene militarily if Venezuela decided to act to defend its territory in the dispute over Guayana Esequiba, a differential factor for the profits of the oil company ExxonMobil.
Defend the right to choose and move forward
For those calling for a boycott of the May 25 elections, creating fear and anxiety is a useful strategy; it would be the card needed to generate abstention and reinforce their narrative. Although they aren't mobilizing people, the leaders around Machado are trying to extract a payback from the demobilization that terrorist-type violence would generate.
On the other hand, renewing and/or ratifying both regional authorities and parliamentarians is essential for Venezuelan political life; it is a right of the general public. However, the supposed defenders of democracy are trying to prevent this.
The Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) have deployed Operation Republic, and the Head of State has reaffirmed the activation of a "special peace and security defense plan" for the elections. In particular, he ordered the reinforcement of the National Electricity System's defense plans against the newly detected threats.
The goal is for the population to express itself safely and freely, for differences or disagreements to be resolved through voting and debated in eminently political spaces like the National Assembly. Furthermore, citizen participation in the electoral process will be another step toward continuing the plans for economic recovery and national stability. These are fundamental keys to sovereignty.
https://misionverdad.com/venezuela/los- ... -electoral
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Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry Welcomes Observers for May 25 Elections
May 24, 2025

Venezuelan deputy foreign minister for Latin America, Rander Peña, greets Wasna Papai Danfa, member of the Political Bureau of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGCV), who will act as an observer for the May 25 elections. Photo: Telegram/@RanderPena.
The Venezuelan deputy foreign minister for Latin America, Rander Peña, welcomed international observers arriving in Venezuela for the May 25 elections.
In a message posted on his social media on Thursday, May 22, Peña reported that he has already held fruitful meetings with:
Wasna Papai Danfa: member of the Political Bureau and special advisor to the president of the Guinean National People’s Assembly (ANP) of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC).
Konrad Sitarara: director of the South West African People’s Organization (SWAPO) of Namibia.
Kevin Go: general secretary of the Congolese Communist Party (PCCO).
Scholastica Ephraim: president of organization of the Saint Lucia Labor Party.
Harun Armagan: vice president for Foreign Affairs of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Türkiye.
Rawashdeh Bassam Abdel Hamid Falah: Member of the Central Committee of the Jordanian Democratic People’s Party.
“To all of them we convey the greetings of President Nicolás Maduro Moros and the Venezuelan people, who raise the just and noble flags of humanity,” he said in his message.
Over 400 international observers will be present for the regional and legislative elections in Venezuela this Sunday, as reported by President Nicolás Maduro on his program Con Maduro Live De Repente on Thursday.
https://orinocotribune.com/venezuelas-f ... elections/
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Calm in Venezuela on the Eve of Regional and Legislative Elections
May 25, 2025

Two persons reading a National Electoral Council sign in front ot a voting center in Venezuela ahead of the May 25 elections. Photo: Telesur.
On the eve of the regional and legislative elections to be held on Sunday, May 25, peace and calm prevail in the streets of Venezuela, while the authorities maintain a series of measures aimed at safeguarding public order and citizen security.
From San Cristóbal, the capital of Táchira state, Telesur correspondent Paola Dragnic reported that the city is completely calm. On Sunday, a total of 850,000 voters will go to the polls in the 29 municipalities of the state. Security measures will remain in place along the Colombia-Venezuela border until Monday night.
Journalist Madeleine García witnessed people’s enthusiasm to vote in Guayana Esequiba, the state that will elect its governor, legislative authorities and National Assembly deputies for the first time.
In an exclusive interview with Telesur, the administrative head of Guayana Esequiba, Neil Villamizar, said that there is a pleasant atmosphere, camaraderie, and tranquility in the towns of Tumeremo, El Dorado, and Las Claritas. “We are taking positive steps in the process of recovering our Guayana Esequiba,” he added.
The elections represent a political breakthrough, as authorities will be elected to form the necessary structure for the state to integrate into the Venezuelan legislative dynamic. “There is joy and enormous anticipation for this step,” Villamizar commented.
On Saturday, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro urged the people of the country to actively participate in the May 25 elections, with the goal of building peace and a future.
“Get up early this Sunday to keep building a different Venezuela,” the president’s message on social media emphasized.
Complete installation of polling stations
The vice president of the National Electoral Council (CNE), Carlos Quintero, reported on Friday, May 23, that the polling stations were fully set up throughout the country. Voting table members of each polling station and witnesses from political parties participated in the process. According to Quintero, this means that the infrastructure designed by the CNE, including the 15,736 voting centers and 27,713 polling stations, is ready for May 25.
On Sunday, starting at 5:00 a.m., CNE officials will visit each polling station to launch the voting logistics. An hour later, the regional and legislative elections will officially open.
Quintero explained in an interview with VTV that the electoral mechanism was tested during the voting drill to evaluate “all the technical and logistical aspects, as well as the protocols of the operational technical staff we have deployed in the field.” He noted that this is a complex election from a technical standpoint, “but we have made a great effort to make the voting experience very simple for voters.”
https://orinocotribune.com/calm-in-vene ... elections/
Venezuela Heads to the Polls Amid Divided Opposition and United Chavismo
May 24, 2025

Venezuelan people marched in the rain on July 30 in defense of the July 28 electoral results. Photo: Zoe Alexandra.
By Pablo Meriguet – May 23, 2025
Venezuelans head to elections on May 25. A united Chavismo will face a divided opposition, amidst accusations of an alleged violent plan to boycott the elections.
On May 25, Venezuelans will once again go to the polls to elect:
285 deputies to the National Assembly
24 governors
260 regional legislators
According to data from the National Electoral Council, close to 6,000 people are running for different popularly elected positions from 36 different political parties.
The government trusts in its supporters
The ruling party, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), has closed ranks around the Great Patriotic Pole, a coalition of 14 political parties, to offer single candidacies and thus avoid dividing the vote that supports or sympathizes with the political project that has been developing since the beginning of the 21st century, the Bolivarian Revolution.
The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, said that the great challenge for the Chavista candidates will be: “Connecting with grassroots popular power, reaching out to the people, in order to plan this great new era.”
For his part, Jorge Rodríguez, current President of the Legislative (and historic leader of the PSUV), said:“We are giving our all to win 24 governorships and consolidate a clear parliamentary majority. What we are sure of is that we will win again.”
A divided Venezuelan right-wing
On the other hand, the opposition is divided. The right wing, grouped around María Corina Machado, called on supporters to not go to the electoral precincts in a plan to boycott the elections. They also did not present candidates. In this way, the opposition hopes to delegitimize Chavismo’s probable victory.
However, a sector of the right has decided to participate in the regional and legislative elections, despite condemnation from Machado and former presidential candidate Edmundo González. Parties such as A New Time (UNT) and the Democratic Alliance coalition, which includes more than 20 opposition parties and movements, have called their voters to participate in the May 25 elections.
Probably the most recognized politician backing the approach of participation in the upcoming elections is Henrique Capriles, former presidential candidate and former governor of the State of Miranda, one of the main political cadres of the opposition.
In an interview with El País, Capriles stated: “The opposition has already used abstention as a way of conducting politics, and in the end, it’s nothing. What can you build from abstention? All you’re doing is making things easier for the Government… For me, politics is action and abstention is inaction.”
Regarding this change in strategy from a sector of the opposition, Chilean journalist Pablo Jofre Leal says: “Capriles is part of the so-called Network Decide (Citizen Defense of Democracy) presented on April 2, 2025, which according to his own words ‘marks a strategic change of a sector of the Venezuelan opposition by prioritizing electoral participation as a tool of democratic resistance, while rejecting international economic sanctions and secondary tariffs linked to Venezuela’. Accompanying Capriles in this Network are politicians considered ‘moderates’ (ambiguous term in political matters) such as Jesús ‘Chuo’ Torrealba, Henri Falcón, Tomás Guanipa, Andrés Caleca, and Vladimir Villegas, among others.”
He added that former presidential candidate Manuel Rosales, current governor of Zulia, and Antonio Ecarri should also be included among this democratic tendency of the opposition.
Maduro denounced a violent plan to sabotage the elections
On May 19, the Executive denounced that it had uncovered an alleged plan to attack the population with bombs and other terrorist tactics during the May 25 elections. In this sense, the government announced the arrest of 38 persons (21 Venezuelans and 17 foreigners) who, according to Venezuelan intelligence, were planning to violently sabotage the elections. They also confirmed the seizure of cell phones that contain valuable information on the origin and financing of these plans.
Maduro denounced that the Albanian mafia and groups of Colombian drug traffickers were behind the plan to carry out bombings in Venezuelan territory. “The Albanian mafia that governs Ecuador sent part of its trained mercenaries to plant bombs in Venezuela. They have been captured,” stated Maduro in a televised speech.
Suspension of flights between Colombia and Venezuela
In connection with the alleged terrorist plans, Vice President Diosdado Cabello announced that the cancellation of all flights from Colombia has been ordered “until further notice.” In this way, the government intends to stop the entry of people who are allegedly linked to potential attacks.
Cabello said “[that the objective of the alleged mercenaries] was to generate attacks with explosives against embassies, hospitals, public service centers, and government personalities.” He further stated that these acts had the support of certain ultra-right sectors: “They want to present that in Venezuela there are no conditions for elections, but the National Electoral Council has complied with the schedule. The Republic Plan is already activated to guarantee security.”
On his part, the Venezuelan President said that he foresees a peaceful election day despite the alleged terrorist plans: “Vote yes, no violence. No one can take away the right of the people to elect, to vote, to participate, to have their authorities,” stated Maduro.
Historic elections in the Essequibo
The election will also be historic because for the first time a governor, eight deputies to the Legislative, and seven members of the regional legislative council will be elected to represent the Essequibo, a rich, 160,000 square kilometers area disputed between the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.
The elections have caused controversy in Guyana, where President Irfaan Ali affirmed that he will do everything possible to uphold the integrity of a territory they claim as their own. However, for several decades, Venezuela has also claimed the territory as an indivisible part of its nation. It is now considered Venezuela’s 24th state. However, the election will not be held in the disputed territory, so it would be extremely unlikely for there to be incidents between both nations on that day, although the Guyanese government stated that it will accuse those who participate or support the Venezuelan election of treason.
In this way, a scenario emerges which appears routine on the surface, but given Venezuela’s central role in global economic and political disputes, becomesa geopolitical arena constantly poised for internal and external tensions. The resolution of these tensions will likely depend on the political capacity of its members to overcome differences and thus gain ground against their adversaries.
https://orinocotribune.com/venezuela-he ... -chavismo/