Shots fired near Venezuela presidential palace: Witnesses
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Unidentified drones flew over the Miraflores palace and security forces opened fire in response.
PHOTO: AFP
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CARACAS - Shots were fired late on Jan 5 near Venezuela’s presidential palace, witnesses said, days after US forces captured the now-deposed President Nicolas Maduro
A source close to the government said the situation was under control.
Unidentified drones flew over the Miraflores palace in central Caracas and security forces opened fire in response around 8pm local time, the source said, hours after Mr Maduro’s deputy Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as interim president following his removal.
Bursts of gunfire rang out, but not as strong as in the pre-dawn attack on Jan 3 that toppled Mr Maduro, according to a person who lives five blocks from the palace, who said the incident lasted about a minute.
“The first thing that came to mind was to see if there were planes flying overhead, but there were not. I just saw two red lights in the sky,” the resident near the palace said on condition of anonymity.
“Everyone was looking out their windows to see if there was a plane, to see what was happening.”
The Communications Ministry did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.
A video posted on social media showed what appears to be tracer bullets fired into the sky.
The video showed many security force members rushing to the palace after the shots.
Bloomberg reported that earlier on Jan 5, heavily armed security forces and pro-government motorcycle gangs known as colectivos roamed the capital, at times stopping drivers and checking their phones. Videos captured by some witnesses show motorbikes and armed civilians circling the presidential palace. AFP
