• Venezuela suspends flights from Colombia following the arrest of 38 individuals in an alleged conspiracy.
• The arrests occurred just before key legislative and gubernatorial elections.
• The Venezuelan government alleges the detained included bomb experts and mercenaries.
• Colombia's foreign ministry confirms flights will resume after the elections.
• This action is part of broader tensions involving accusations of external plots against Maduro's government.

Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announced on Monday that flights from Colombia have been suspended, effective immediately, correlating with the detention of more than 30 individuals suspected of participating in an alleged conspiracy aimed at destabilizing the nation. The arrests included 21 Venezuelans and 17 foreigners with various nationalities, with some reportedly arriving via planes and land from Colombia, while their origins were said to be from other countries, according to reports from Reuters, India Times, and Al Jazeera.

Cabello claimed that the detentions were part of anti-government plans, alleging that the group intended to place explosives at Venezuelan embassies, hospitals, and police stations. He suggested that those arrested had links to the political opposition and failed to provide further evidence for these claims. "The scenario they want to present is that there are no conditions in Venezuela for holding an election," he stated, highlighting ongoing tensions amid upcoming elections, according to Reuters, India Times, and Al Jazeera.

The flight suspension is expected to last at least until after the legislative and gubernatorial elections scheduled for May 25, when voters will elect governors and National Assembly members. Venezuela's aviation authority indicated that flights would resume the day following the elections, per statements from India Times and Al Jazeera.

These developments come amid heightened political repression and ongoing accusations against the Venezuelan government regarding its treatment of political dissent and human rights violations. An independent panel backed by the Organization of American States recently released a report detailing systematic abuses in Venezuela, echoing sentiments shared by opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who called for a boycott of the elections, stating that the government was attempting to create a facade of normalcy in electoral conditions, according to Reuters, India Times, and Al Jazeera.