Venezuela has arrested a general as part of a continuing probe into the alleged attempt to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro, the attorney general has said. Major General Alejandro Perez Gomez of the country's national guard appeared before a judge on Monday along with opposition politician Juan Requesens and another military officer, Colonel Pedro Javier Zambrano, Tarek William Saab told a press conference. To date, 14 people have been arrested and charged for allegedly taking part in the August 4 incident in which Maduro was seen reacting on live television to an off-camera explosion while he addressed a military parade in Caracas.

A second explosion was heard and then the assembled troops could be seen breaking formation and scattering in panic. Maduro said the blasts were from explosives-laden drones sent to assassinate him, though opposition figures accuse Maduro of fabricating the incident to step up repression. Saab told journalists in Caracas that further arrests were possible. He said his office had requested Requesens' bank accounts be blocked along with those of opposition parliament chairman Julio Borges, who has fled to neighbouring Colombia.