Venezuela's President Says A Rogue Police Helicopter Fired On The Supreme Court

Get the Full StoryPresident Nicolas Maduro claimed the aerial attack was part of a conspiracy to overthrow his government.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that a stolen police helicopter fired on the Supreme Court Tuesday in what he described as a foiled "terrorist attack" against the government.

Speaking live on state television, Maduro said the helicopter dropped grenades on the court building, condemning the attack as part of a "coup plot" aimed at ousting him from power. He added that he would activate the national defense system, and that security forces were already searching for the attackers.

A statement from the government later claimed that the helicopter fired 15 shots at the Interior Ministry before flying to the court, where justices were meeting, and launching four grenades.

There were no reports of injuries, and the president of the Supreme Court later confirmed to the Associated Press that no one was hurt from the attack.

Handout Reuters

The helicopter was apparently stolen by a man named Oscar Perez. In a video posted on social media Tuesday, Perez claims responsibility for the attack, standing in front of four armed, masked men.

In the video, Perez claims he represents "a coalition of military officials, police and civil servants in the search for stability and against this temporary, criminal government." He adds that the group does not have any political affiliations.

"In this day, we are conducting an aerial and terrestrial operation with the only goal of returning the power to the democratic people and, in that way, accomplish and reestablish the constitutional order," Perez says. "We demand, President Nicolas Maduro Moros, your immediate resignation, along with that of your ministers, and that a general election is immediately called for."

An Instagram bio identifies Perez as an investigator, pilot, and K9 trainer for the CICPC, Venezuela's police intelligence unit. In the video, he says that his group does not identify with a political party.

Oscar Perez Instagram Via youtube.com

Despite Perez s claims, it was not immediately clear whether the attackers had any support. And by the end of the night, Maduro's government seemed to remain firmly in power.

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News of the helicopter attack, and the subsequent mobilization of national security forces, immediately prompted a flood of rumors across Venezuelan social media. Some of Maduro's opponents accused the president of having orchestrated the attack to justify a crackdown on anti-government protesters.

Adding to the intrigue, Perez is also reportedly an actor, having co-produced and starred in the 2015 Venezuelan action film Suspended Death, in which he played an intelligence agent rescuing a kidnapped businessman, according to Reuters.

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