Venezuela: Police helicopter used to attack Supreme Court, claims President Nicolas Maduro

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday said militants in stolen police helicopter had targeted the country’s Supreme Court in Caracas with grenades and its interior ministry with gunfire, Reuters reported. No injuries were reported. The administration accused investigative police pilot Oscar Perez, who had announced a rebellion against the Maduro, of perpetrating the incident.

The aircraft was stolen, the official statement said. “Sooner rather than later, we are going to capture the helicopter and those behind this armed terrorist attack against the institutions of the country,” Maduro said on state television. The attackers in the helicopter reportedly fired 15 shots at the interior ministry building and dropped four grenades on the court. A large number of people were attending an event at the ministry building, and several judges were participating in an official meeting at the court house, officials said.

In a video on Instagram posted at the time of the attack, Perez is shown saying an operation to restore democracy was under way. The dissident leader said he represented a coalition of military, police and civilian officials opposed to the “criminal” government, Reuters reported.

At least 75 people have died in anti-government protests since April. Protestors have demanded general elections, relief from the economic crisis, freedom for hundreds of jailed opposition activists, and independence for the opposition-controlled National Assembly legislature, Reuters reported.

Maduro’s government, however, has claimed that its rivals are attempting to stage a coup with support from the United States in a bid to seize control over the country’s rich oil reserves. Maduro’s supporters have also been conducting demonstrations to counter the protests.

Venezuela is a member of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and currently has the largest oil reserves in the world.