(CNN) — Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has condemned what he called an “armed terrorist attack,” which saw grenades and gunfire launched from a helicopter over the capital’s Supreme Court building.
In a televised address on state TV Tuesday, Maduro said one of the grenades failed to explode, and no one had been injured, but armed forces had been deployed to hunt down the suspects.
Soon after the attack, a man who identified himself as Oscar Perez posted a video online declaring his opposition to the country’s “criminal government.”
Perez was identified as the pilot of the helicopter in a televised statement by Minister for Communications and information Ernesto Villegas.
In his video message, Perez, who said he was a pilot in the special response unit of Venezuela’s Criminal Investigative Police (CICPC), demanded that Maduro step down.
Addressing the camera while wearing a pilot’s flight suit, Perez said he was speaking on behalf of what he termed a coalition of military and police officers and civil officials and urged the Venezuelan people to continue to fight to protect their constitution.
Chaos
Venezuela is in the throes of a political and humanitarian crisis which has brought thousands of people onto the streets in mass protests demanding a change of government.
Soaring inflation and widespread shortages of medicines, food and other essentials have infuriated the local people, who are struggling to afford even basic necessities.
Under former president and Maduro’s mentor, Hugo Chavez, oil revenue fueled Venezuela’s economy. However, falling oil prices have made state subsidies unsustainable.
Anti-government protesters want Maduro to step down, accusing him of eroding democracy. Maduro, meanwhile, has sent the Venezuelan military onto the streets to maintain order, leading to deadly clashes.
Vivid social media images
Photographs posted online showed a helicopter with the initials of the investigative police unit on its side, flying above the capital.
Through the open door an occupant held a banner displaying “Article 350” — referring to an article in the Venezuelan constitution that allows citizens to oppose the government should it subvert democratic principles.
Video of the incident shared on social media show the helicopter coming into the Supreme Court complex at speed.
Another video which was shared online shows the helicopter landing on top of a building as a few people below cheered. The helicopter then took off again although it’s not clear where it went.
Online manifesto
In the video, Perez said members of his group were nationalists unaffiliated with any political party, and that their fight was not with the country’s security forces but rather against the “disastrous government, tyranny and the death of innocents.”
Earlier Tuesday, Maduro spoke at a rally and said, “I aspire that the world listens. After 90 days of violence, destruction and death. If Venezuela was launched into chaos and violence and the Bolivarian Revolution was destroyed, we would go to combat.
“We would never give up. And what couldn’t be done with votes, we would do it with weapons. We would liberate our fatherland with arms.”
Maduro said he had activated government security forces to investigate the attack.
This story was first published on CNN.com, “Venezuela’s Maduro: Helicopter attacked Supreme Court”
