Venezuela’s president blamed the US government Wednesday for orchestrating a coup attempt against his country.
“WE DEFEATED THE ATTEMPT”
Speaking at a May Day event in the capital, Caracas, Nicolas Maduro said a European newspaper had reported that US President Donald Trump and National Security Advisor John Bolton had coordinated all operations of the attempted military coup.
Maduro said Venezuela defeated the coup attempt, adding Washington had been unable to topple former President Hugo Chavez and also couldn’t topple him. He added that the US could never bring a puppet president to the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas.
Venezuela has been rocked by protests since Jan. 10, when Maduro was sworn in for a second term following a vote boycotted by the opposition.
Tensions escalated when Juan Guaido, who heads Venezuela’s National Assembly, declared himself acting president on Jan. 23, a move which was supported by the US and many European and Latin American countries.
Russia, Turkey, China, Iran, Bolivia and Mexico have thrown their weight behind Maduro.