Police helicopter attacks Supreme Court in Venezuela

Venezuela’s Supreme Court has been attacked by grenades
dropped from a helicopter in what President Nicolás Maduro called a
“terrorist attack”.

Footage on social media shows a police helicopter circling
over the city before shots and a loud bang are heard.

The police officer said to have piloted the stolen aircraft
issued a statement denouncing the “criminal government”. His
whereabouts are unknown.

It comes after mass protests against the political and
economic crisis.

The Supreme Court is regularly criticised by the Venezuelan
opposition for its rulings which bolster Mr Maduro’s hold on power.In an
address from the presidential palace, President Maduro said the helicopter had
flown over the Supreme Court and also the justice and interior ministries.

Officials quoted by Reuters news agency said four grenades
were dropped on the court and 15 shots had been fired at the interior ministry,
BBC reported.

No injuries were reported but Mr Maduro said “a social
event” had been taking place at the Supreme Court and the attack could
have caused “dozens of deaths”. One of the grenades failed to
detonate, he added.Mr Maduro has placed the military on alert.

“I have activated the entire armed forces to defend the
peace,” he said. “Sooner or later, we are going to capture that
helicopter and those who carried out this terror attack.”The police
officer identified himself as Oscar Pérez in video statements posted on the
social media platform Instagram.

Appearing in military fatigues and flanked by armed, masked
men in uniform, he appealed to Venezuelans to oppose
“tyranny”.”We are a coalition of military employees, policemen
and civilians who are looking for balance and are against this criminal
government,” he said.

“We don’t belong to any political tendency or party. We
are nationalists, patriots and institutionalists.”

He said the “fight” was not against the security
forces but “against the impunity of this government. It is against
tyranny”.

It is not clear how much support, if any, the officer has.

Mr Maduro said the pilot had worked for former Interior and
Justice Minister Miguel Rodriguez Torres, but was no longer with him.