Venezuelan TV personality says Israel faked damning recording

JTA – Influential Venezuelan TV commentator Mario Silva accused the Mossad and CIA of manipulating his voice to embarrass his country’s socialist government.

Silva, a late night talk show host and vocal supporter of the Venezuelan Socialist Party responded on Tuesday to the release of a controversial tape featuring the likeness of his voice, saying it was forged by the Israeli and US secret services.

“I categorically reject this set-up,” Silva said, according to Reuters.

Earlier in the day, opposition leaders played the tape in which Silva purportedly discusses with the press ways to eliminate political opposition within the Socialist Party.

During an hourlong conversation, the voice can be heard debating methods of removing parliamentary speaker and party leader Diosdado Cabello from power and strengthening Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

“The only way to get rid of Diosdado is to demonstrate that he is corrupt and is corrupting everyone else, and to show proof that [former president Hugo Chavez] knew about it,” he was quoted as saying.

Opposition leader Henrique Capriles Radonski cited the tape as evidence of widespread corruption and backstabbing within Venezuela’s government in the wake of the death of Chavez in March.

Silva has used his popular show to accuse prominent Jewish Venezuelans of scheming to topple Chavez’s government. Silva said Tuesday that he was taking a leave of absence from his TV show due to health reasons.