Venezuela top court orders opposition lawmakers arrested

Venezuela's Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the arrest of a prominent opposition leader in connection with an alleged assassination attempt against President Nicolas Maduro.

In addition to seeking the arrest of Julio Borges, the court also called for the prosecution of another opposition lawmaker, Juan Requesens, who police detained a day earlier.

The moves threaten to deepen the country's political crisis as opposition lawmakers accuse the government's ruling part of using the alleged attack to clamp down on the opposition.

Video circulating on Tuesday on social media showed Venezuela's political police arresting Requesens, a 29-year-old deputy in the opposition-controlled National Assembly.

Supporters say he was kidnapped from his apartment.

On Wednesday, the supreme court ordered the arrest of Borges, accusing him of "flagrant crimes," including public incitement, treason to the fatherland and the attempted homicide against Maduro.

Lifting immunity of the two

The Constituent Assembly - a body set up last year by Maduro to arrogate powers from the elected legislature - followed up by stripping Borges and Requesens of their immunity.

The elected body, called the National Assembly, has said it will dismiss any attempt to remove its members' immunity as unconstitutional.

Its past decisions, however, have been annulled by the Supreme Court.

Attorney General Tarek William Saab said moves were being made to put Requesens on trial, while Maduro is pressing Colombia and the US to extradite opposition figures he alleges are plotting to topple him from abroad, including Borges.

During a national television broadcast on Tuesday, Maduro accused Requesens and Borges of complicity in weekend drone explosions that he contends were an attempt on his life.

Borges, a former president of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, has been living in self-imposed exile in the Colombian capital, Bogota.

Maduro said statements from some of the six suspects arrested earlier have implicated the two lawmakers, as well as key financiers.

"Several of the declarations indicated Julio Borges. The investigations point to him," Maduro said during Tuesday's broadcast, though he provided no details of Borges' alleged role.

Borges, who has rejected the accusations, met on Wednesday with top lawmakers in Colombia, which has blamed Maduro's government for causing the crisis that has led to masses of Venezuelans fleeing across the border into the neighbouring country.

"We want to see you out of power, imprisoned for the violation of human rights, imprisoned for the destruction of democracy," Borges said.

"The only promoter of violence is a man named Nicolas Maduro."

Two drones armed with explosives detonated near Maduro as he spoke during a military celebration on Saturday.

Images on live television showed Maduro and his wife looking up at the sky as the first drone exploded, sending hundreds of soldiers scrambling for safety.

The six suspects arrested earlier face charges of treason, attempted murder and terrorism.

Investigators have linked a total of 19 people to the attack, Chief Prosecutor Saab said on Wednesday.

Critics of Maduro's socialist government said immediately after the drone explosions that they feared the unpopular leader would use the incident as an excuse to round up opponents as he seeks to dampen spreading discontent over Venezuela's devastating economic collapse.

Antonio Ledezma, an opposition leader and exiled mayor of Caracas who now lives in Spain, spoke with Borges from Bogota.

"Neither the deputy Borges, nor the deputy Requesens - no Venezuelan parliamentarians are involved in this type of scheme cooked up by the regime," Ledezma said.

"This is another parody of Maduro."

Maduro: I will provide evidence

The events come as Venezuela's economy continues to haemorrhage and thousands flee to neighbouring nations seeking food and medical care.

Maduro has grown increasingly isolated, with the United States and other foreign powers slapping economic sanctions on a growing list of high-ranking Venezuelan officials and criticising his government of being an autocratic regime.

The International Monetary Fund projects inflation could top 1 million percent by year's end.

During Maduro's two-hour speech, videos were displayed showing alleged suspects and images of the drones exploding. One video included a purported confession by a handcuffed suspect, whose face was blurred out.

The president also displayed wanted posters with names and pictures of other suspects who he said are living in the United States and Colombia.

Maduro said he would provide evidence to authorities in both countries and ask for their cooperation in handing over suspects who helped orchestrate and finance the attack.

"I want to explain to the government of the United States and the government of Colombia in detail all the evidence that leads us to accomplices ... living in the state of Florida," Maduro said.

"I trust in the good faith of Donald Trump."

State television on Wednesday showed Venezuela's foreign minister, Jorge Arreaza, and Saab, the attorney general, meeting with James Story, the top US diplomat in Caracas. 

The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request on Wednesday for comment on whether Venezuela had made any extradition request.