Helicopter 'attacks' Venezuelan court

[TomSea]

Helicopter 'attacks' Venezuelan court

Venezuela's president speaks of a "terrorist attack" after a helicopter apparently tries to bomb the Supreme Court

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

Read more at: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-40426642

[Frank Cannon]

On Monday, he announced that five people had been arrested, accused of plotting against him and preparing for a US invasion.

Someone should tell El Presidente Bus Driver that no one with a brain is interested in his stinking shithole of a country.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Helicopter attack targets Venezuela's Supreme Court
CNN, Jun 28, 2017

A police helicopter launched a daring attack on the Venezuelan Supreme Court Tuesday, in a dramatic escalation of the months-long crisis engulfing the regime of President Nicolas Maduro.

The helicopter was apparently stolen and piloted by an officer in the country's investigative police force, Oscar Perez. As it strafed the court building and the Interior Ministry in Caracas, the attackers fired gunshots and lobbed grenades, officials said.  .../

Video message

Before the attack began, a man who identified himself as Perez appeared in a video online saying an operation was underway to seize democracy back from Venezuela's "criminal government." Flanked by a group of armed men in military fatigues and balaclavas, Perez claimed to be speaking on behalf of a coalition of military, police officers and civil officials.

In his video message, Perez said he was a pilot in the special response unit of Venezuela's Criminal Investigative Police (CICPC) and demanded that Maduro step down.

On this day, we are carrying out a deployment by air and land with the sole purpose to return the democratic power to the people and to ensure the laws to establish constitutional order," he said.

Photographs posted online showed a helicopter with the initials of the investigative police unit on its side, flying above the capital, Caracas.

Through an open door an occupant is seen holding a banner saying "Article 350 libertad" -- referring to an article in the Venezuelan constitution that allows citizens to oppose the government should it subvert democratic principles.  .../

Maduro response

Minister for Communications and Information Ernesto Villegas called the incident an attempted coup.

He said the attackers launched four grenades, two against a group of National Guards who were protecting the court building. About 15 shots were fired around the Ministry of the Interior, a few blocks away from the presidential palace, he said, while a social event was ongoing inside the building, celebrating the National Day of Journalists. Around 80 people were in the building, he said.

Maduro said he had activated government security forces to investigate the attack.

Earlier Tuesday, Maduro warned of a potential attack. Speaking at a rally, he said, "If Venezuela was launched into chaos and violence and the Bolivarian Revolution was destroyed, we would go to combat.

"We would never give up. And what couldn't be done with votes, we would do it with weapons. We would liberate our fatherland with arms."


More with videos:  http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/27/americas/venezuela-supreme-court-helicopter-grenade-attack/