Maduro Lashes Out At 'Puppet' Spanish Prime Minister Over Responsibility For Possible Coup

Maduro Lashes Out at 'Puppet' Spanish Prime Minister Over Responsibility for Possible Coup

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro put the blame for events that would happen after a possible coup in the Latin American country on Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez

MEXICO CITY/MADRID (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th February, 2019) Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro put the blame for events that would happen after a possible coup in the Latin American country on Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

"If one day there is a coup, if one day there is an American military intervention, Mr. Pedro Sanchez, your hands will be stained with blood forever, and history will remember you as a puppet who went into the service of the militant policy of intervention of Donald Trump," Maduro said in his address to the military.

Earlier in the day, Spain recognized Venezuelan opposition parliament speaker Juan Guaido as the country's interim president, while Sanchez made a respective statement.

The Spanish Foreign Ministry has also updated its travel advisory for Venezuela, urging Spanish citizens to refrain from traveling to the country.

The ministry called on the Spanish nationals to "closely follow the possible holding of demonstrations [in Venezuela] via media and social networks" and avoid moving from one place to another.

In addition, Guaido was recognized by Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. The moves came after the deadline set by the European Union for Maduro to announce snap a presidential election elapsed on Sunday.

EU countries were expected to recognize Guaido in a joint statement, but, according to a comment of a diplomatic source in Brussels to Sputnik, Italy blocked the statement.

Tensions in Venezuela escalated nearly two weeks ago when Guaido declared himself interim president, disputing last year's re-election of Maduro. The opposition leader was almost immediately recognized by the United States and several other countries. Russia, China, Mexico, Turkey and Uruguay were among those that have voiced their support for Maduro as the country's legitimately-elected president.