Story highlights "Legitimate rebellion" staged in Valencia, quickly contained

Government official calls the operation a "terrorist attack of a paramilitary nature"

Caracas, Venezuela (CNN) Venezuela remained a powder keg on Sunday as authorities said they had quelled an anti-government paramilitary attack at a military base that led to the deaths of two people, and the country's attorney general defied her ouster by the newly elected National Constituent Assembly.

A man who identified himself as an army officer announced the revolt on social media, an action he called a "legitimate rebellion" aimed at the government of leftist President Nicolás Maduro.

"We are united now, more than ever, with the brave people of Venezuela who do not recognize the legitimacy of Nicolás Maduro's murderous tyranny," according to a man who said he was Capt. Juan Caguaripano.

The President, speaking on his weekly TV show, "Sundays with Maduro," made reference to the incident, saying "a week ago, we won with votes and today we had to beat terrorism with bullets."

"They attack with terrorism and hate. We attack with our work, our love. They destruct, we construct," he said.

Read More