Venezuela to charge opposition leader over alleged plot to kill Maduro

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado will be charged next week with involvement in an alleged plot to kill President Nicolas Maduro, the state prosecutor's office said on Wednesday. Ruling Socialist Party leaders in May accused a group of opposition activists including Machado of planning Maduro's assassination to pave the way for a coup. Opposition critics dismissed the accusation as a charade based on forged documents. Machado, a former legislator and high-profile adversary of the government, helped spearhead three months of protests earlier this year. She will be formally charged on Dec. 3, the prosecutor's office said in a statement. Via her Twitter account, Machado suggested the announcement was in retribution for demanding new leadership at the state elections council. A representative for Machado said she was not immediately available for further comment. More…