Colombia arrested 10 suspected of participating in the attack Helicopter carrying President Ivan Duke As well as a military base last month, officials said on Thursday that it was planned by the former FARC rebel leader based in Venezuela.

A car explosion occurred at the base in the northeastern city of Cucuta, where the 30th Army Brigade is located, injuring 44 people, including two U.S. military advisers. In late June, a helicopter carrying Duke and other officials was strafed by bullets as it approached the city.

Defense Minister Diego Morano said at a press conference that the order to launch the attack came from the former leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia operating in Venezuela.

“Obviously, this attack on the President and on the 30th Brigade was planned in Venezuela,” Morano said.

Morano said that the attack showed that the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro sheltered the FARC dissidents, calling them “terrorists.”

“I want to make it clear that this attempt against the President and the 33rd Brigade was clearly planned in Venezuela. Therefore, it is necessary for the international community to reflect on how the Maduro regime continues to protect terrorists who continue to attack. Colombian institutions,” he said.

Attorney General Francisco Barbosa said in a press conference broadcast on social media that the 10 people arrested in Santander Norte were former FARC insurgents who rejected the 2016 Peace agreement.

Barbosa said that three of them were involved in the planning and execution of the two attacks and have been detained and charged, while the other was a retired army captain.

The Colombian government has long accused Maduro of turning a blind eye to the presence of Colombian rebels on its national territory. In turn, Maduro said that Venezuela is a victim of Colombian criminals.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza responded On twitter, Accused Morano of pointing to Venezuela for distracting attention from Colombia’s internal problems.

“They are using Venezuela again to try to cover up their country’s tragedy,” he said, adding that Colombia is full of violence and armed groups and its economy depends on drug trafficking.

The latest development occurred in another political crisis that swept the country.

Protests across Colombia began on April 28 to oppose the proposed increase in taxes on public services, fuel, wages, and pensions, but it has evolved to target the government to the most vulnerable groups in society (such as indigenous and Afro-Latino) A common requirement to pay long-term debts. Although the Duke government withdrew the tax measures, protests continued and continued to grow with the emergence of relevant reports Police violence, arrest, Death and disappearance.

During the anti-government protests in Bogota, Colombia, demonstrators walk next to riot police [Santiago Mesa/Reuters]

Tuesday The government formally submitted a $3.95 billion tax reform bill to Congress as labor unions and student groups tried to revive street protests.

The Ministry of Finance emphasized that the bill will not affect most taxpayers, and the proposal to increase sales tax in the previous April version has caused particular anger.

But the protesters expressed doubts about the government’s commitment to reform key requirements, such as police reforms and improved opportunities for young people, including a 25% minimum wage subsidy for companies employing young people aged 18 to 28.

In early July, the United Nations Special Envoy for Colombia called on Colombian society to use the 2016 peace agreement reached between the government and the country’s largest rebel organization to resolve many long-standing issues that have caused protests and unrest.

Carlos Ruiz Matthew told the UN Security Council that solving these problems is imminent, saying that “bold steps” are needed to speed up the implementation of the peace agreement in the coming months.

Before the signing of the peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, more than 220,000 people died and nearly 6 million people were displaced by Colombia’s 50-year war. An amnesty law covering most crimes committed by FARC fighters was passed.