CARACAS, Venezuela — The authorities detained several executives of the country’s top pharmacy chain over the weekend amid accusations that retailers were seeking to maintain long lines outside stores as part of what President Nicolás Maduro called a “guerrilla tactic” to sow discontent in the economically beleaguered nation.
“I’ve got some conspirators, owners of a chain of stores, jailed by the Sebin,” Mr. Maduro said Sunday in a television appearance, referring to the country’s intelligence police. “I have asked the national prosecutor’s office to speed up the charges so that they are well jailed for sabotaging the Venezuelan people with their chain of stores.”
He did not identify the company, but he appeared to be referring to the Farmatodo drugstore chain.
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Mr. Biden’s office said in a statement that “President Maduro’s accusations are patently false and are clearly part of an effort to distract from the concerning situation in Venezuela.”
Patricia Torres and María Eugenia Díaz contributed reporting.
A version of this article appears in print on February 3, 2015, on page A7 of the New York edition with the headline: Venezuela Detains Executives of Retail Chain That Leader Blames for Long Lines . Order Reprints| Today’s Paper|Subscribe
