Spain claims Venezuela is arresting foreigners for 'destabilizing the country'

(Patria) - Spain has requested information from Venezuela regarding reports on Saturday that two Spaniards, three citizens of the United States, and one Czech were arrested on suspicion of involvement with an alleged plan to destabilize the South American country, a source from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, Reuters reported.

Spanish media report that Venezuelan Minister of the Interior Diosdado Cabello said that the six arrested were suspected of planning to "generate violence" and "destabilize" Venezuela.

"The Spanish Embassy sent a verbal note to the Venezuelan government requesting access to the detained citizens to verify their identity and nationality and to know exactly what they are accused of," the source from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Reuters.

The Spanish citizens were detained in Puerto Ayacucho, Spanish media reported the minister's statement, adding that about 400 rifles of US origin were seized. They are accused of belonging to the Spanish secret service. Spanish media reported that Madrid denied this claim.

The arrests followed the Venezuelan government's decision this week to recall its ambassador to Spain for consultations and summon the Spanish ambassador to appear at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Caracas, escalating diplomatic tensions after the disputed presidential elections.

Caracas recalled its ambassador to Madrid and summoned the Spanish envoy in Venezuela for talks after the Spanish minister accused Maduro of leading a "dictatorship".

Venezuela was also angered by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's decision to meet with Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who went into exile in Spain last week after Maduro's regime threatened him with arrest.

Caracas has also been involved in a war of words with the United States, which recognized Gonzalez Urrutia as the winner of the July 28 elections.