Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has urged his government officials to be cautious about accepting electronic devices as Christmas gifts, citing recent deadly explosions involving communications equipment in Lebanon.
During a meeting on Venezuelan culture in Caracas on Friday, Maduro expressed concern over the potential for electronic devices to be used for malicious purposes, referring to the series of explosions that occurred in Lebanon last week. He specifically advised against accepting phones and cellphones as gifts.
”Do not accept electronic gifts… be careful with telephones, cellphones, be careful everyone,” he stated during a televised address.
“You’ve seen what happened in Lebanon, everyone should be on alert,” Maduro added.
As an alternative to electronic gifts, Maduro suggested giving artisanal handicrafts, books, and traditional Venezuelan products like coffee and rum.
The mass detonation of pagers and walkie-talkies in Lebanon last week resulted in at least 37 fatalities and over 3,000 injuries. Israeli intelligence is widely believed to be behind the attacks, which targeted the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
Maduro secured a third consecutive term as president of Venezuela in an election held in July. According to the National Electoral Council, he received 52% of the vote. However, the opposition has alleged that the polls were rigged.
The US, along with the EU and several other countries, have supported opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez and refused to recognize Maduro’s victory.
Earlier this month, Venezuela’s interior minister claimed that the security service had foiled a CIA-backed plot to assassinate Maduro and carry out acts of terrorism.