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Russian Security Council secretary Nikolai Patrushev claims the US is amassing troops near the Venezuelan border ahead of a military operation in the south American country.

US forces have been deployed to “overthrow the lawfully elected incumbent president [of Venezuela] Nicolas Maduro”, he said.

The US has called on Maduro, president since 2013 after succeeding the late Hugo Chávez, to stand down after claiming his 2018 snap election win was marred by vote-rigging.

Under Maduro, Venezuela’s economy has plunged into crisis, with extreme levels of inflation and deprivation causing social and political upheaval.

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Maduro has accused the US of staging a coup against him over efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to his country amid widespread hunger and malnutrition.

Russia has backed Maduro, with Patrushev condemning the US for “showing sarcasm and arrogance towards the Venezuelan people”.

He claimed the build-up of US troops in neighbouring countries suggests the Trump administration is “preparing a military invasion on an independent state”.

He said: “The transfer of American special forces to Puerto Rico, the landing of US forces in Colombia and other facts clearly indicate that the Pentagon is reinforcing the grouping of troops in the region in order to overthrow the lawfully elected incumbent president Maduro.”

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He said Venezuela refused to accept humanitarian aid because it understands that Washington is preparing to topple Maduro.

“And the Venezuelan people understand this well. Hence, such a reaction, the refusal to accept cargo from the aggressor country and the support of their president," Patrushev added.

Washington earlier on Monday targeted Venezuela with new sanctions and called on allies to freeze assets of its state-owned oil company PDVSA.

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The moves came after Venezuelan security forces violently drove back opposition attempts at the weekend to bring humanitarian aid, including US supplies, into the country against the will of Maduro.Maduro denies there is a humanitarian crisis despite overseeing a hyperinflationary economic meltdown that has spawned widespread food and medicine shortages and prompted the exodus of around 10 percent of the population.

Backed by the US and dozens of other countries, opposition leader Juan Guaidó has declared himself interim president.