"The leaders of the coup acknowledge their unscrupulous authorship. The Trump administration in desperate to generate an internal conflict in Venezuela. Democratic institutions in Venezuela will guarantee the country's peace. #TrumpHandsOffVenezuela," the minister wrote on Twitter.
.@SecPompeo hace un alarde de diplomacia, al promover y financiar un golpe de Estado violento en Venezuela. La obsesión de Washington por controlar la riqueza petrolera venezolana, los lleva de torpeza en torpeza. Subestiman al Pueblo de Simón Bolívar. #TrumpHandsOffVenezuela https://t.co/IzwG01W2s4
— Jorge Arreaza M (@jaarreaza) 30 апреля 2019 г.
US National Security Adviser John Bolton, in his turn, said that the Venezuelan military should support the opposition-controlled National Assembly.
Large-scale protests against Maduro began in Venezuela on January 21 soon after he was sworn in for a new term. Guaido proclaimed himself an interim leader of the country. A number of Western countries, including the United States, backed his claim.
READ MORE: WATCH Tear Gas Used in Venezuela After Opposition Urges Coup
Maduro, in turn, has accused the United States of trying to orchestrate a coup in order to install Guaido and take over Venezuela’s natural resources. Russia, China, Cuba, Bolivia, Turkey and a number of other countries have voiced their support for Maduro as the only legitimate president of Venezuela.
