In an address broadcast on Venezuelan television Saturday night, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says that paramilitaries from various other countries, including Colombia, are part of a “reactivated” plot to assassinate him.
“Plans have been reactivated to assassinate me from outside the country and from inside the country,” Chavez said, while inaugurating a new milk processing plant in the Venezuelan department of Lara.
“They continue searching for mercenaries in Central America and Colombia, paramilitary fighters,” he continued, and said that the plans involved rockets made with state-of-the-art technology being launched at airplanes and helicopters.
The president also accused his opposition of “searching for coup-supporting soldiers” to overthrow his government and “collecting money to pay the price they have put” on his head.
“We can’t give them the pleasure. Anyway, we will live on, I have taken it on as my responsibility,” he promised.