As election nears, Venezuelan government keeps arresting opponents allegedly tied to criminal plots

By REGINA GARCIA CANO
Associated Press

MEXICO CITY (AP) — As Venezuela’s government would have it, President Nicolas Maduro and members of his inner circle have been the target of several conspiracies since last year that could have left them injured or worse. Few details have been released about the alleged plots. But the socialist-led government has cited them in the arrests of 30 people since January including a prominent human rights attorney and staffers of a leading opposition presidential candidate. Local and international nongovernment groups, the U.N. and foreign governments have described the crackdown as a pretext to stifle political opposition ahead of the July 28 president election. Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, will seek a new six-year term.