Speaking with Venezuelan military officials on Sunday, President Nicolas Maduro noted, in particular, that he perceives himself as Jesus Christ.
"I am a worker like Jesus Christ the Saviour and I'm a devoted Christian — from the heart of a Christian to our God," Maduro said.
Touting the Venezuelan military as "the soldiers of the Motherland to guarantee the country's unity and sovereignty", he also cited William Shakespeare and claimed that the future of Venezuela is currently at stake.
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"To be or not to be, said the great Shakespeare. To be or not to be — this is today's dilemma. To be a homeland or to be a colony. To be Venezuela or to be nothing. To be a unified people and armed forces or disintegration, to be the future or a disappearing dream which is more than 200 years old," Maduro stressed.
He also cautioned against attempts "to weaken Venezuela" and fuel a civil war in Venezuela, saying that there will be "peace, not military intervention" in his country.
The remarks came after Maduro's interview with the Spanish news show Salvados, during which he specifically warned Donald Trump of far-reaching consequences if the US President pursues what Maduro described as a "dirty" imperialist conspiracy to oust him.
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"Stop. Stop, Trump! Hold it right there! You are making mistakes that will leave your hands covered in blood and you will leave the presidency stained with blood. Why would you want a repeat of Vietnam?" Maduro said.
On Sunday, Trump said in an interview with the US broadcaster CBS that a US military intervention in Venezuela remains "an option". Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza described the statement as proof that Washington is behind an attempt to stage a coup d'etat in the Latin American country.
"[US President] Donald Trump confirms that he leads the state coup as he threatens to use military force again in violation of the UN Charter. The Venezuelan opposition is controlled by Trump", Arreaza tweeted on Sunday.
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Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez also condemned Trump's statement, stressing that the people of Venezuela would not allow any foreign interference.
The move was supported by the United States, most Latin American countries and some EU states, while Russia, China, Mexico, Turkey, Iran and several other states backed constitutionally-elected President Nicolas Maduro, who has repeatedly blamed Washington for trying to stage a state coup in Venezuela.
