US Does Not Want Venezuela to Be ‘Cuban Puppet State’ - Pompeo

"We do not want this to be a Cuban puppet state in Venezuela", US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told NBC News.

Pompeo noted that Washington aims to deliver humanitarian aid to Venezuela in the coming days.

"This weekend, we will attempt to deliver hundreds of tons of humanitarian aid. We hope we can get it across the border", he stressed.

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The statements come amid the tense humanitarian aid situation in Venezuela. The United States has been stockpiling humanitarian aid on the Colombian border. Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido announced that US supplies would be delivered to the country on 23 February. President Nicolas Maduro, however, refused to allow the aid into the country, blasting it as a conspiracy to topple his government.

The situation in crisis-torn Venezuela escalated on 23 January when Guaido declared himself interim president, disputing Maduro’s reelection. The United States and its allies almost immediately recognised Guaido as the president. Russia, China, Mexico, among other nations, voiced support for Maduro, who, in turn, accused Washington of orchestrating a coup.