© Reuters / Carlos Barria



They want to invade and intervene in Venezuela - they say, as they said then - in the name of democracy and freedom. But it's not like that. The story about the usurpation of power in Venezuela is as false as the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has slammed Washington's belligerent rhetoric towards his country in an open letter addressed to the American people.Maduro published an image of the letter on his official Twitter account, saying it would be delivered to the White House, demanding respect for Venezuela's "inalienable right to peace."In the letter, Maduro denounces US President Donald Trump's aggressive statements against him - in which he has branded Maduro an illegitimate dictator, as well as hinting at military intervention.Maduro accuses Trump of "disrupting noble dialogue initiatives," which were promoted by Uruguay and Mexico and backed by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). They aim for "a peaceful solution and dialogue favorable for Venezuela."Maduro wrote.The Venezuelan president demanded that the US stop its aggression against Venezuela, including both attempts to "suffocate our economy" and "the serious and dangerous threats of military intervention." He signed off with the phrase "Long live the people of America!"The Trump administration has been leading calls for Maduro to be overthrown, recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's "legitimate" leader. It was joined in these calls by a number of European nations. Several other countries - including Russia, China and Turkey - are backing Maduro as the legitimately elected president, and have denounced Washington's actions as attempts to foment a coup.