VENEZUELAN Interior Minister Nestor Revero confirmed yesterday the arrest of “six terrorists” in connection with a failed plot to kill the country’s President Nicolas Maduro.

Speaking on state television, he said that one of those arrested had taken part in a failed uprising when a military base in the central Venezuelan city of Valencia was attacked in 2017, in an incident many claimed was backed by the US.

Another of those being held had taken part in the violent anti-government protests of 2014 which were seen as an attempt to topple Mr Maduro.

Mr Revero explained that police had confiscated a number of vehicles and video evidence of Saturday’s failed attempt to kill Mr Maduro who came under attack by armed drones while addressing a military parade in Caracas.

Mr Maduro thanked those who had offered their support and solidarity following the attack and struck a defiant tone, vowing he would not be deterred from building the Bolivarian revolution.

"I thank the peoples and governments of the world who have spoken out against the attack that aimed to end my life. Venezuela will continue to follow the democratic, independent and socialist path," he said.

Venezuela has long accused the US of wanting to remove Mr Maduro from power and has previously warned that Colombia could be used as a staging post for an attempted coup.

Video footage released yesterday appeared to show former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe telling US business leaders that the Venezuelan army should overthrow Mr Maduro.

In the clip recorded on Saturday, Mr Uribe is heard speaking in English and appealing for support.

"I have said this in public, I have said that the Venezuelan soldiers need to remove that government [of Nicolas Maduro], not to establish a military government, but to call for a rapid transition, with democratic and transparent elections.

"When I say that the United States should help promote that decision, it is in private, for us,"  he said.

He repeated the call yesterday in a Tweet sent from his official account which said: “Venezuelan soldiers need to remove Maduro and his regime and hold transparent elections.

“A new democratic gov in order to stop the deepening of the humanitarian crisis and avoid terrorism and the risk of more violence.”

Mr Uribe has previously called for a coup against Mr Maduro, branding him a tyrant in 2017.