Maduro: 'Terrorist' attack on Venezuela army base repelled

Venezuela's military said Sunday it repelled a

"terrorist" attack on a base in the city of Valencia, led by an army

deserter allegedly linked to "foreign governments."

Two

of the attackers were killed and eight were captured, President Nicolas

Maduro said on state television, claiming the group of "mercenaries" –

whose total number he put at around 20 – had ties to Colombia and the

United States.

Officials insisted afterward that all was normal across the country.

(The

entrance of the 41 Brigada Blindada Fuerte Paramacay military base is

seen in Valencia, Venezuela, August 6, 2017. /Reuters Photo)

Still,

the incident heightened fears that Venezuela's deepening political and

economic crisis could explode into greater violence.

In

Valencia, a major northwestern city, military helicopters flew overhead

as tactical armored vehicles patrolled the streets in a climate of

tension.

Locals said a nighttime curfew had been

imposed, as flaming barricades set up in the street by anti-government

protesters spewed black smoke.

The armed forces said

in a statement "a group of civilian criminals wearing military uniforms

and a first lieutenant who had deserted" carried out the attack, during

which a number of weapons were stolen.

The

lieutenant and several of the attackers were arrested but "an intense

search" was on for the others who made off with the arms, the military

said.

(Members

of security forces stand guard during clashes with demonstrators near

Fuerte Paramacay military base in Valencia, Venezuela, August 6, 2017.

/Reuters Photo)

Maduro said the captured lieutenant was "actively giving information and we have testimony from seven of the civilians."

Maduro congratulated the army for its "immediate reaction" in putting down the attack, saying they earned his "admiration."

Controversial Constituent Assembly

Venezuela

has become increasingly isolated internationally as Maduro has

tightened his hold on power through a contested loyalist assembly that

started work this week.

The opposition, which

controls the legislature, has been sidelined. Its leaders are under

threat of arrest after organizing protests, fiercely countered by

security forces, which have left 125 people dead in the past four

months.

One prominent leader, Leopoldo Lopez, was returned to house arrest after being hauled off to military prison four days ago.

(Venezuela's

Chief Prosecutor Luisa Ortega gets onto a motorcycle after a flash

visit to the Public Prosecutor's office in Caracas, Venezuela, August 5,

2017. /Reuters Photo)

On Saturday, the new

Constituent Assembly ordered the dismissal of the attorney general,

Luisa Ortega, who had broken ranks with Maduro to become one of his most

vociferous critics.

Opposition leaders have called

on the military, which historically has served as an arbiter of

political disputes, to break with Maduro over what it considers

violations of the Constitution.

Maduro offers official plane to blocked Venezuelan athletes

Maduro

on Sunday offered his official plane to national athletes who have had

to forfeit competitions abroad because of lack of commercial flights out

of their crisis-hit country.

"If they can't manage

(flights) because of saboteurs, the presidential plane is available for

the national teams to take them wherever in the world," Maduro said on

state television.

(Venezuela's

President Nicolas Maduro speaks during his weekly broadcast "Los

Domingos con Maduro" (The Sundays with Maduro) in Caracas, Venezuela,

August 6, 2017. /Reuters Photo)

The leftist

leader regularly accuses the opposition of sabotaging the country's

economy in collaboration with the United States.

Several

major foreign airlines, pressured by currency controls and growing

insecurity in Venezuela, have suspended or reduced services, making

flights out few and costly.

The country's national

volleyball, fencing and softball teams have been affected recently, some

forfeiting because they were unable to make competitions in other

countries.

Maduro said he could travel overland, "by

motorbike or mule," if necessary, "but our national teams must not miss

any international competition."