In a bizarre twist of events, the Venezuelan government has accused the United States of stealing a train from its territory. The train, which was carrying passengers and cargo, disappeared from the tracks near the border with Colombia on Tuesday.
The Venezuelan Minister of Transport claimed that the train was “abducted” by a US military helicopter, which flew over the area and lifted the train with a giant magnet. He said that this was part of a “coup plot” against President Nicolas Maduro, and demanded the immediate return of the train and its occupants.
The US State Department dismissed the accusation as “ridiculous” and “baseless”. A spokesperson said that the US had no involvement in the train’s disappearance, and suggested that it was a result of the “poor maintenance and corruption” of the Venezuelan railway system.
The fate and whereabouts of the train and its passengers remain unknown. Some local media reported that the train was seen in Bogota, Colombia, where it was sold for scrap metal. However, these reports could not be verified.