Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Blames Supreme Court Helicopter Attack On Ex-Ally Miguel Rodriguez Torres

Amid mounting political crisis in Venezuela, the country’s Supreme Court was sealed off after a helicopter fired shots and launched grenades at the building Tuesday evening. President Nicolas Maduro called the incident a “terrorist attack” and blamed it on former ally Miguel Rodriguez Torres, who was an interior minister in Maduro’s government.

At the time of the incident, Maduro was speaking live on state television addressing his supporters at the presidential palace. According to the 54-year-old president, the helicopter opened fire in offices of the court and attacked the building with a grenade which did not explode, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

Read: 'Mother Of All Protests' Planned Against President Nicolas Maduro

"The entire air defense and detection plan was immediately activated to guarantee the people's right to peace against an armed attack," he added. "I condemn this terrorist attack...we are going to capture the person responsible for this terrorist act," Maduro said.

“This is the kind of armed escalation I have been warning about,” Maduro said, according to Bloomberg. “I call on the opposition alliance to denounce this incident,” he added.

Sources told TeleSur that the helicopter belonging to the Venezuela's Scientific, Penal and Criminal Investigations agency was stolen before the incident. Maduro said the country’s air defense was immediately activated, which averted the attack. He also claimed that the attack was a part of an ongoing coup attempt.

“It could’ve caused a tragedy with several dozens dead and injured,” Maduro said, according to the AP.

He also reportedly said the Venezuelan special forces were on the lookout for the "terrorists" responsible for the attack.

During the incident, a banner reading “350 Libertad” was opened out from the helicopter. It referenced to article 350 of the Bolivarian Constitution that opposition forces are trying to call upon to stop the National Constituent Assembly, TeleSur reported.

“We have two choices: be judged tomorrow by our conscience and the people or begin today to free ourselves from this corrupt government,” the chopper’s pilot, identified as Oscar Perez, said, the AP reported.

He was accompanied by four people dressed in military fatigues, and ski masks, who reportedly carried weapons.

Read: US Expresses ‘Grave Concern’ Over Venezuela Crisis

Confirming the attack, Venezuelan Communication and Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said: "A person has taken up arms against the Republic. He hijacked a helicopter and attacked the Supreme Court," Villegas reportedly said, adding the chopper flew over Caracas calling for unrest.

Maikel Moreno, president of the Supreme Court, termed the incident "an act of terrorism" and said that damages to the building were assessed.

TeleSur, however, noted that the capital was calm despite the government’s claims. Venezuelans took to social media to criticize Maduro and his government for trying to spread fear among the public in a bid to justify a crackdown on protests attempting to block his plans of rewriting the constitution.