Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday, September 15^th that Spain was not involved in any plan to destabilize Venezuela politically. This announcement occurred after the arrest of two Spanish nationals in the South American country, alleged of being linked to Spain’s Secret Service and of planning the assassination of a mayor.

“These groups seek to seize the country’s wealth, and we as a government will respond firmly to any destabilization attempt,” said Diosdado Cabello, the Venezuelan Interior Minister, on Saturday, September 14^th. On the following day, Spain already had an answer, denying any involvement. “Spain denies and absolutely rejects any insinuation of being implicated in an operation of political destabilization in Venezuela,” the Spanish foreign ministry source said. “The government has confirmed that the (two Spanish citizens) detained do not form part of the Centre for National Intelligence or any state organization. Spain defends a democratic and peaceful solution to the situation in Venezuela.”

Three U.S. citizens and one Czech citizen were also arrested under the same allegations. The U.S. State Department also denied the accusations, saying that “any claims of U.S. involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false”.

These arrests and accusations are expected to deepen Venezuela’s already tense relations with Spain and the United States. Moreover, such allegations could contribute to the destabilization of the government, specifically considering the time of intense political unrest that Venezuela has been dealing with. The disputed elections of this year have already led to widespread protests and tensions in the international community.

Since the Venezuelan presidential elections happened in July, the country has faced enormous polarization and instability. On one side, the Venezuelan government declared that Nicolás Maduro, who arrived in power in 2013, had won the presidential elections. However, on the other side, accusations have been made about potential electoral fraud. Since then, many countries started picking sides and declaring their support for one of the main candidates.

Countries such as the United States, Spain, and Argentina, and have declared that they reject the election results while countries such as Cuba, Bolivia, and Honduras have recognized the results and congratulated Maduro. Additionally, some countries such as Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico, the three most populated countries in Latin America, have been seeking to play a mediator role in the crisis. This means that they have neither recognized Maduro’s victory nor clearly stated the election was fraudulent.

As tensions increase, the future of democracy in Venezuela remains uncertain. These recent arrests have intensified an already turbulent political landscape between the South American country and other foreign nations. In light of that, Spain’s announcement denying any involvement underscores a possible commitment to a peaceful resolution in Venezuela. However, the potential for increased instability still looms large, as both domestic unrest and international polarization continue to shape the future of Venezuela’s political climate.