WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th January, 2019) The US government should avoid getting involved in efforts to mount a coup or support regime change in Venezuela, Senator Bernie Sanders said in a press release.

"The United States should support the rule of law, fair elections and self-determination for the Venezuelan people," Sanders said on Thursday. "However, we must learn the lessons of the past and not be in the business of regime change or supporting coups - as we have in Chile, Guatemala, Brazil and the Dominican Republic. The United States has a long history of inappropriately intervening in Latin American countries; we must not go down that road again.

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The Trump administration has recognized National Assembly head Juan Guiado as interim president of Venezuela and urged Nicolas Maduro to step down. Maduro formally severed relations with the United States and gave US diplomatic personnel 72 hours to leave Venezuela.

Earlier on Thursday, the Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict said that the death toll in violent protests in the country in recent days has risen to 26.