Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has survived what would appear to be an audacious attempt on his life, while giving a speech at a military parade in the capital city of Caracas.
Footage from state TV shows Maduro addressing troops who had gathered for the 81st anniversary of the country’s national guard, speaking about the country’s economy.
“To the conscious Venezuela, we are going to bet for the good of our country, the hour of the economic recovery has come and we need …” he says, before his speech is cut short.
He and others on the podium, including his wife Celia Flores and several of the country’s senior military officials, can be seen looking up in surprise as audio drops out.
The footage then cuts the the crowd, where confusion sets in and the assembled soldiers can be seen breaking ranks and scattering.
#URGENTE #VIDEO Aparente explosión en acto donde estaba el presidente Nicolás Maduro genera confusión pic.twitter.com/NYi21vok7T
— NTN24 Venezuela (@NTN24ve) August 4, 2018
While there was initial confusion as to what the footage actually showed, multiple sources have since reported that several drones “exploded” near the President while he was speaking.
Venezuela’s Information Minister has since told the media that Nicolas Maduro is “fine” and working after the attack, however, several national guard troops were reportedly wounded.
Maduro is a former bus driver who rose up through trade unions and served under President Hugo Chavez, assuming power after his death in 2013 and consolidating it in a special election.
