Mike Pompeo denounced the presence of Iranians in Venezuela to support the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro

The secretary of US State Mike Pompeo on Sunday accused Iran of providing "on the ground" support to Nicolás Maduro's regime, and badured that what Washington wants, is that Venezuelans be able to restore "your own democracy" without external interference

"We want the Venezuelan people not to be manipulated by any country, be it Russia or China; We now have Iranians on the ground in Venezuela (…). USA wants to get out all the countries and allow the Venezuelan people to restore their own democracy ", Pompeo said in an interview with the network Sunday Fox News.

The head of the US Department of Foreign Affairs he especially stressed the Kremlin stating that "the Russians must leave", he recalled, has already expressed US President DOnald Trump, in a published tweet "a few weeks ago".

However, Trump himself sowed controversy on this point Friday by contradicting US intelligence reports after talking on the phone with the Russian president, Vladimir Poutine.

"I think it's a very positive conversation, the one I had with President Putin about Venezuela. He does not think at all about getting involved in Venezuela, he just wants something positive to happen in Venezuela, and I think the same thing, "Trump told reporters after the end of the call .

As well, Pompeo insisted Sunday accusing Cuba of wanting to control Venezuela.

"We know the historical presence of a few thousand Cuban thugs, who essentially control this country today," argued

Venezuela is facing a political and social crisis that has been accentuated after the Speaker of Parliament, on January 23, Juan Guaidó, he has declared himself acting president by invoking some articles of the Venezuelan constitution and has obtained the support of a good part of the countries of the American continent and of about twenty European nations.

The Venezuelan opposition, which does not recognize the new six-year term that Nicolás Maduro swore on January 10, considering the illegal elections last May, says that the country is going through a "complex humanitarian emergency""and asked the international community to help him help him.

Pompeo has not entered today to value the statements of some members of the US government, such as the acting secretary of the Ministry of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, who ensured that Washington maintains "all the options on the table," thus suggesting that a US military intervention in Venezuela is possible.

The secretary expressed confidence that it will be the Venezuelans themselves who will overthrow dictator Maduroalthough he admitted he did not know "when" could happen.

"If you look at where this country was ninety days ago, the Venezuelan people must be very proud, they are much closer to restoring democracy"Pompeo's installa.

(With information from EFE)