Stolen police helicopter attacks Venezuelan government buildings

Rumors of an elaborate government hoax and claims of a thwarted uprising swirled over Venezuela’s capital Wednesday morning after a stolen police helicopter fired on the Interior Ministry and the nearby Supreme Court building. Officials claim a police pilot and budding movie star is behind what President Nicolas Maduro called a “terrorist attack” designed to oust him from power. Photographs posted to social media showed the blue helicopter flying with an anti-government banner, and in a separate video post, officer Oscar Perez called for a rebellion against Maduro’s “tyranny.” Maduro was speaking live on national television when the incident took place. He angrily denounced the violence. But opponents said the so-called attack smacked of a government hoax intended to drum up support for a crackdown on dissent. Maduro and his supporters claim Perez is taking orders from the CIA and the U.S. Embassy. Deadly anti-government protests have rocked Venezuela for months.

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