Venezuela’s president accuses US of coup attempt

CARACAS

Venezuela's president blamed the U.S. government Wednesday for orchestrating a coup attempt against his country.

Speaking at a May Day event in the capital, Caracas, Nicolas Maduro said a European newspaper had reported that U.S. 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 U.S. 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 U.S. and many European and Latin American countries.

Russia, Turkey, China, Iran, Bolivia and Mexico have thrown their weight behind Maduro.

Guaido posted a video statement on social media Tuesday showing him standing alongside a small contingent of uniformed military personnel and armored vehicles in which he called for an uprising to end the "usurpation" of Maduro.

Writing by Can Erozden