Venezuela’s allies China, Russia and Iran have heavily criticised the US

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Investigative website The Grayzone detailed a discussion between the US and Venezuela neighbours Columbia and Brazil, who the publication state have given Donald Trump the go ahead to launch an assault on the nation. Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez took to Twitter to warn of the attack, adding the “international community and its multilateral legal bodies must know that a criminal plan is underway to attack Venezuela militarily!” She also said the US and its allies' “pathetic show of recognition” for interim President Juan Guaidó “only masks the intervention in Venezuela”.

She continued: “US, Colombian and Brazilian officials who plot to ignore the will of the people of Venezuela through military violence are committing crimes against humanity and are internationally responsible! “The same goes for those 'Venezuelans' who join in on this crime!” The same day, CNN reported an anonymous Pentagon official revealed that White House national security adviser John Bolton instructed acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan to consider using the US military to deter the presence of Russia, China and Cuba in Venezuela.

Mr Bolton tweeted yesterday: “Maduro is undermining the constitutional duty of the Venezuelan military by unilaterally expanding the untrained and undisciplined armed militia. “He does not trust the FANB, which must exist to protect the people of Venezuela.” Last weekend, Mr Maduro ordered that one million more people should join the civilian army in support of his government.

Russia also waded into the debate

Venezuela’s allies China, Russia and Iran have heavily criticised the US for comments it continues to make on the South American nation. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said: “The US has long been treating Latin America as its backyard, where it would resort to wilful use of pressure, threat or even subversion. “People can tell right from wrong.”