Venezuelan Helicopter Attacker Claims He's Ready to Continue Anti-Gov’t Struggle

Oscar Perez, the Venezuelan police officer who piloted the helicopter during the attack on the Venezuelan Supreme Court and Interior Ministry, has declared his and his supporters' readiness to continue striving to overthrow the state’s President Nicolas Maduro, local media said Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – After the helicopter attack carried out on June 28, Perez, a former officer of the police investigative agency, known as CICPC, and his supporters, who he called nationalists and patriots, demanded an immediate resignation of Maduro and general elections in a video address. Maduro labeled the attack as an act of terrorism and pledged to catch the perpetrators.

"Again, we are here in Caracas, ready and willing to continue our fierce fight for the liberation of our homeland," Perez said in a video address published on the internet and quoted by the El Carabobeno newspaper.

Perez did not provide any details on the further activity of his group, however, he noted that the next phase of the group’s plan would be implemented with "conviction, planning and our joint effort."

In addition, Perez specified that the helicopter attack did not cause any casualties, as it was planned this way.

The attack came ahead of the July 30 voting to elect the Constitutional Assembly, set to rewrite the constitution as a way out of the political turmoil that started in January 2016, when a new opposition-controlled legislature was elected and relations between Maduro and the parliament became strained. Communication and Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said the attack would not interfere with the election.

In October, the National Assembly voted to initiate impeachment proceedings against Maduro. In January 2017, the parliament declared that Maduro abandoned his post as result of refusing to carry out his duties. The Supreme Court of Justice, however, stated that the National Assembly does not have the constitutional powers to declare abandonment. Maduro classified the parliament’s actions as a coup attempt.

In March, the Venezuelan Supreme Court decided to restrict the power of the state’s National Assembly. The decision was immediately reversed amid a backlash, but supporters of the opposition-controlled parliament, who strive for the dismissal of the court members, took to the streets on April 4, marking the start of protests that have claimed at least 75 lives.