By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW 

The U.S. directly violates the UN Charter by threatening Venezuela with military intervention, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday.

According to the Article 2, point 4 of the UN Charter, all UN members shall "refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations," Zakharova said at a news conference in Moscow.

U.S. military activities in Cucuta, Columbia show signs Washington is preparing for a military coup, she said.

"In the city of Cucuta, in the border area with Venezuela, the command post of the so-called ‘humanitarian operation’ is being deployed. And if you call a spade, a spade – ‘humanitarian’ intervention. Based on the activities of the U.S. military delegations, that have literally flooded the region recently. A detailed study of overall support of force scenario in Venezuela is being carried out there," she said.

Venezuela has been rocked by protests since Jan. 10 when President Nicolas Maduro was sworn in for a second term following a vote boycotted by the opposition.

Tensions rose when opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself acting president 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 put their weight behind Maduro.