MOSCOW, May 6. /TASS/. There is a plan made by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) behind attempts to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the country’s Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said at a press conference in Moscow on Monday.

"There is a whole plan made up by the CIA and the Venezuelan opposition to overthrow the Maduro government and take control of our country’s natural resources, which belong to the people as a result of a socialist revolution," Arreaza said. "This is what we are trying to prevent. We don’t want the Venezuelan people to suffer," he added.

The Venezuelan top diplomat pointed out that the country’s authorities had demanded US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo enter dialogue with them. "Don’t use force, don’t stage coups for we have democratic institutions and the time has come for diplomacy. The US presidential administration should allow the Venezuelan opposition to come to the negotiating table with us," Arreaza said.

Situation in Venezuela

On January 23, Juan Guaido, Venezuelan opposition leader and parliament speaker, whose appointment to that position had been cancelled by the country’s Supreme Court, declared himself interim president at a rally in the country’s capital of Caracas.