Maduro Labels Detained Spaniards as "Terrorists"

The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, has labeled José María Basoa Valdovinos and Andrés Martínez Adasme, the Spaniards detained for their alleged connection to the Venezuelan opposition, as "terrorists." He accuses them of plotting to assassinate him and claims they are "undercover agents" of the Spanish National Intelligence Center (CNI).

Maduro stated that these "terrorists," who according to their families were tourists, "plant bombs during their libertarian times": "It’s a new type of tourism: adventure tourism. They come to plant bombs and kill people here. Explosive tourism," he quipped during his appearance on the program 'Con Maduro+'.

Furthermore, he asserted that "the captured individuals are convicted and confessed" and that the "evidence" shown is not "even ten percent of the full proof already in the hands of justice bodies" and "involves peaceful tourists" from "various" European nationalities "who came to plant bombs and kill."

The President claimed that "the hegemonic media of the Spanish right" have tried to "victimize the murderers, the terrorists, the victimizers." "Now it turns out they were good guys, tourists who were strolling around and were captured by the Venezuelan dictatorship and disappeared," he expressed.

Additionally, Maduro stated that "their families or friends, or the CNI and the Government of Spain" will not come out to say they are agents and hand them over. Besides Basoa and Martínez, three Americans, one of them a marine, and a Czech citizen were also detained, with 400 American rifles seized.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello pointed out that the CNI is attached to the Ministry of Defense but is "a totally autonomous entity from the Spanish Government" and that it "depends on the CIA," conducting "operations worldwide following instructions" from Washington.

Cabello, who mentioned a significant arms seizure, took the opportunity to criticize Defense Minister Margarita Robles, who recently referred to Maduro's government as a "dictatorship," sparking a recent diplomatic crisis. "Robles attacked Venezuela at an event that was a book launch, which had nothing to do with it, and decided to target Venezuela. She knew what was going on," he said.

Following the detentions of the Basque citizens, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation has requested Caracas for "official and verified" information as well as a "clarification of charges" against them. The Spanish Government denied that both belong to Spanish intelligence services and detailed that the Embassy sent a verbal note to the Venezuelan government "requesting access to the detainees."

The families of those detained, natives of Bilbao, filed a report with the Ertzaintza police force regarding their disappearance on September 9. The Basque Department of Security confirmed that relatives alerted them about the situation. The Basque police conducted inquiries and confirmed that both were detained in Venezuela, information which was then relayed to their families.