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CARACAS. — Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro escaped unharmed from an attempted attack of explosive drones on Saturday.

The attack happened here during a speech given by Maduro to commemorate the 81st anniversary of the country’s National Guard when the drones exploded near Maduro and his wife.

The live television transmission was then abruptly cut at 5:46 pm local time (2146 GMT).

Seven National Guard soldiers were injured and rushed to hospital, but the president was not hurt, according to Minister of Communication Jorge Rodriguez.

Maduro described the attack as an assassination attempt in a later televised address to the nation.

The leftist president blamed the attack on the far-right factions in Venezuela, the Colombian government and conspirators in the United States, saying they were responsible, according to his address.

Venezuela-Colombia relationship has been long strained by frictions between the two neighbouring South American countries, including border disputes and military concerns.

Maduro said in June that Venezuela’s opposition camp “has the backing of a handful of traitors there in Bogota (the capital of Colombia),” adding that his country was “besieged by the northern empire” — the United States.

However, Colombian Foreign Ministry on Sunday refuted Maduro’s accusation, saying in a statement that “the claims that the Colombian leader could be responsible for a supposed assassination of the Venezuelan president sound absurd and lack basis.”

In his nationally televised address, Maduro said that some of those involved in the attack have been arrested, whose identities are unknown yet, and the investigation is underway.

“I pledge to do justice,” Maduro wrote in his twitter following the attack, adding that he is “more determined than ever” to “consolidate peace, tranquillity, development and prosperity.”

The country’s right-wing opposition groups have launched waves of protests in recent years designed to pressure the government to hold early presidential elections in a bid to oust Maduro, who took office in 2013 and now faces criticism for the flagging domestic economy.

Oil-producing Venezuela has been struggling with an acute economic crisis since crude oil prices crashed in the international market, affecting state coffers and government-run services, including electricity and water.

Meanwhile, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) yesterday accused “regime-change agents and imperialist forces” of attempting to assassinate President Maduro.

“It is clear that regime-change agents and imperialist forces do not want to accept or respect the independence of the people of Venezuela and their democratically elected government,” the ANC said in a statement emailed to Xinhua.

“We are concerned that these were not the first attacks in Venezuela,” ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe said.

Mabe said imperialist agents seek to reverse the recently announced measures for economic recovery that are intended to bring stability, tranquility and prosperity to the people of Venezuela.

The ANC condemns the attack in the strongest possible terms, he said, adding that these barbaric acts have no place in the democratic and peace-loving world.

The ANC urges the government of Venezuela to get to the bottom of these attacks and to do everything to arrest this scourge, Mabe said.

“We pledge solidarity with the government and people of Venezuela and urge them to continue defending and consolidating the gains of democracy and peace in their land,” Mabe said.

South Africa has maintained good relations with Venezuela which has come under sanctions imposed by the United States. – Xinhua