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CARACAS (Reuters) – The Venezuelan Foreign Minister has accused the United States of demanding an intervention and supporting military plots, following a report by US officials who met with Venezuelan military officers to discuss a conspiracy. .
FILE PHOTO: Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza, at a meeting with accredited diplomatic teams in Caracas, Venezuela, August 5, 2018. REUTERS / Adriana Loureiro / File Photo
The Trump administration has held secret meetings with rebel military officers over the past year to discuss their plans to oust President Nicolas Maduro, the New York Times reported Saturday in the nyti.ms/2MceKbj.
The article quoted unnamed US officials and a former Venezuelan military commander who had participated in the talks.
"We denounce the US government's plans of intervention and support for military conspirators against Venezuela," Jorge Arreaza wrote on Twitter on Saturday. "Even in the US media, crude evidence is emerging."
Garrett Marquis, a spokesman for the National Security Council, did not deny the report, but said in a statement that the United States' political preference for a peaceful and orderly return to democracy in Venezuela remains unchanged .
US President Donald Trump said last year that the United States is considering all options for Venezuela, including "the military option."
The comments largely condemned the countries of the region as well as the opponents of Maduro in Venezuela.
The country's economy has collapsed under Maduro, with an annual inflation of 200,000%, and staple foods and basic drugs are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain.
Citizens are increasingly seeking refuge in neighboring countries, including Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
Maduro says the country is the victim of an "economic war" waged by opposition politicians with the help of the Trump administration, which has imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on its government .
Report by Brian Ellsworth; Editing by Lisa Shumaker
