CARACAS – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro identified the man who he said is at the head of a Tuesday evening attack on the Supreme Court as Oscar Perez, a highly trained Special Actions Brigade agent who was once a pilot for the former minister of interior, Miguel Rodriguez Torres.
Maduro blames Rodriguez Torres for plotting a coup against him, but Torres dismissed the accusations. Rodriguez Torres is part of a group of leftist Chavistas who are opponents of Maduro.
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In a manifesto posted on Instagram after the attack, Perez said he was part of a coalition of renegade members of the country's security forces and called for a rebellion against Maduro’s "tyranny." He demanded free elections.
"We have two choices: Be judged tomorrow by our conscience and the people, or begin today to free ourselves from this corrupt government," said Perez, who is also an actor who has worked closely with Saul Torres Films.
Venezuelan authorities said the attack involved four Israeli-made grenades of "Colombian origin," and alleged that Perez was receiving instructions from the U.S. Embassy and had ties to the CIA. Perez said he was part of a coalition of civilian government officials, law enforcement and military.
In five Instagram videos, Perez asked Venezuelans "to recover our beloved Venezuela." His account showed posts going back to late 2014. He has pictures and videos sky diving, scuba diving, shooting a target over his shoulder,and delivering medications and food to those in need.
"I am a helicopter pilot, a combat diver and a free parachutist. I am also a father, a companion and an actor," Perez said during an interview with Venezuelan media. "I am a man who goes out without knowing if he will return home, because death is part of evolution."
His last post before the attack was "Peace is Coming," a painting by Jon McNaughton that shows dozens of soldiers surrounding a glorified Jesus Christ.
Many of Maduro's opponents said Maduro was orchestrating an elaborate ruse.
"There are people who say it was a government-staged hoax, others who say it was real," National Assembly President Julio Borges said during a radio interview on Wednesday.
A video shows the commander of a national guard unit shoving Borges as he walked away from a heated discussion. Opposition lawmakers got into fisticuffs with national guardsman as they tried to enter the National Assemby on Tuesday in Caracas.
More of Perez's Instagram