"You will have to go through these corpses": Venezuela's response to Trump

At a press conference, Padrino López spoke of a lack of respect for Trump's statements and an act of "extreme arrogance and terrible madness".

The minister reaffirmed the support of the armed forces in Maduro and condemned what he considers to be a coup attempt by Washington State.

"They will have to go through these corpses," he warned, surrounded by commanders in uniform of the military.

In a speech on Monday night in Miami, Trump directly asked the Venezuelan army to withdraw support for President Nicolás Maduro.

In front of a public mainly composed of Venezuelans and Cubans, the American president warned that "the eyes of the whole world" turned towards those who supported Maduro, while making sure to risk their life and their future.

"They risk their future, they put their lives and the future of Venezuela at risk for a man controlled by the Cuban army and protected by a private army of Cuban soldiers," he said.

The Cuban government, for its part, called Trump's statement "infamous" and urged the White House to prove it.

"Our government rejects this slander in the strongest and most categorical terms," ​​Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said at a press conference.

The US government was the first to recognize the opposition leader and president of the Venezuelan Parliament, Juan Guaidó, as the country's interim president, after Guaidó was proclaimed as such on 23 January.

Maduro considered that it was an attempted coup d'état orchestrated by the White House, although some 50 countries have already supported the action of the head of the # 39; opposition.

The answer to Trump

In his speech, the Venezuelan Defense Minister said it was "unacceptable" that his army had received threats from Trump and insisted that the armed forces obey Maduro's mandate.

"They will never accept the orders of any foreign government," he said.

The minister said that "threats, blackmail and coercion will not fragment" the Venezuelan army unit.

"We are not mercenaries who sell to the highest bidder."

Padrino López also warned that the army would remain "alert along the borders" to avoid any violation of the territory.

23, key day

The statements of Trump and Padrino López intervene shortly before a key moment of the crisis: Saturday, February 23.

That day, Guaidó intends to ensure that thousands of Venezuelans at the country's borders open humanitarian corridors to distribute international aid sent by the United States.

Tons of international aid, such as food or medicine, have been in the Colombian city of Cucuta for weeks and are waiting to be admitted to Venezuela.

Maduro refuses to let these shipments go and considers the food offered by the United States as a "rotten gift" with the "poison of humiliation".

But Guaidó insists on asking the Venezuelan army to challenge the orders of the government and allow the pbadage of aid.

In fact, the opposition leader made a personalized appeal on Tuesday to several commanders and army generals via Twitter.

"We will send a message to each military leader responsible for the regions of the country where badistance will come in," Guaidó said in his account.

"It is a call for reflection that we will do peacefully, with the conviction that together we will reach the end of the usurpation," he added.

With photographs of these prominent members of the armed forces, his full name, his position and the #SoldadoEscucha label, Guaidó asked them in a personalized way to allow the entry of humanitarian aid.

"The 23F must choose between serving Maduro or serving the country," reads on each of the photographs of the army published by Guaidó on Twitter.

BBC.