Venezuelan leader to allow US investigation into attack

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro would accept the U.S. cooperation to investigate last week's apparent assassination attempt.

According to a BBC report, Maduro believes that the people involved had fled to Florida, Peru and Colombia.

"If the US government offered, or confirmed its offer, of FBI co-operation to investigate, I would accept it," Maduro was quoted as saying by the BBC.

Explosive drones went off while Maduro was giving a speech in the capital Caracas, which he calls an "assassination attempt".

Maduro blamed the far-right wing factions for the attack, saying the perpetrators were linked to Colombia and the U.S.

According to the BBC, the president said there were "terrorist cells" in Florida, which had masterminded the plan and needed to be dismantled.

Maduro also called on the Peruvian government to extradite suspects living there, BBC reported.

The president first took office in 2013 following the death of his predecessor Hugo Chavez.

After being reelected on May 20, Maduro is set to govern for another six-year term, from January 2019 to 2025.

His reelection occurred as the country faces serious economic woes.