"Well, we are consulting. There is an idea that we have a Security Council meeting Saturday morning, because Mike Pompeo wants to come and address SC around 9 in the morning on Saturday," the ambassador said.

UNITED NATIONS, January 24. /TASS/. An emergency session of the UN Security Council on Venezuela may possibly take place on Saturday with the participation of US Secretary of State Michel Pompeo, South African Permanent Representative to the United Nations Jerry Matjila told reporters on Thursday.

"As to whether Venezuela is threat to peace and security - we’ll listen to what Pompeo might have to say," Jerry Matjila added.

"As you know, South African position hasn’t change since - we recognize the government of Maduro as the government of Venezuela," he emphasized.

"On Saturday we will discuss and listen to what all our colleagues from different regions have to say. As we’ve always said - let’s encourage parties in Venezuela to sit together," the diplomat added.

On January 23, Juan Guaido declared himself acting president during an opposition rally in Caracas. Venezuela's incumbent President Nicolas Maduro described these developments as an attempted coup organized by Washington and said he was breaking diplomatic ties with the US.

US President Donald Trump and Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) Luis Almagro recognized Guaido as acting head of state. Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Guatemala, Colombia, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Peru, Chile and Ecuador made similar statements later.

Russia, Bolivia, Iran, Cuba, Nicaragua and Turkey supported Maduro. Belarus and China called for a peaceful resolution to the conflict without outside interference. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres made a statement in support of the dialogue between the conflicting sides.