US Signs Off on Coup, Calls on Military to Support Opposition - Venezuela FM

"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.

Situation at Caracas Military Base Tranquil, Venezuelan Embassy’s VIDEO Shows

30 April 2019, 12:45 GMT

Earlier in the day, opposition leader Juan Guaido urged Venezuelan civilians and armed forces to take to the streets to help depose President Nicolas Maduro. Guaido added that the military personnel who supported him could expect the people to back them. Venezuelan Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said in response that the country's armed forces "firmly support the national constitution and legitimate authorities."

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.

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.