US Rejects New Accusations of Trying to Destabilize Venezuela

HAVANA TIMES — The Obama administration denied today any involvement in an alleged attempt to destabilize Venezuela denounced by the government in Caracas.

State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said the US is seeking consular access to a US citizen arrested in the South American country this week for plotting against the government of Nicolas Maduro, reported dpa news.

“The United States continues to categorically reject any allegations of US government involvement in efforts to destabilize the Venezuelan government or harm anyone in Venezuela”, said Ventrell.

The spokesman pointed out that to date, “none of the allegations has been proven” in reference to other remarks made by the Venezuelan government during the electoral process that saw Nicolas Maduro sworn in as president despite the opposition candidate Henrique Capriles still not recognizing the voting results.

This week, Venezuela’s interior minister, Miguel Rodriguez Torres, announced the arrest of a US citizen whom he accused of being involved with a group of university students who he said sought to destabilize the country and create a civil war which in turn would lead to foreign intervention.

The suspect has been identified as Timothy Tracy Hallet, a filmmaker who allegedly was working on a documentary about the situation in Venezuela.

According to the opposition organization Venezuela Awareness, Tracy is detained at the headquarters of the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN) by “direct order” of President Maduro and is being used as “propaganda of the Venezuelan regime” without guarantees of a fair trial.

Ventrell declined to comment today any details about the detainee and merely stated that the US is trying to have consular access to him, besides asking the Venezuelan government for “more information on the case.”