US plotting Venezuela collapse: Maduro

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says the United States is plotting to bring about the “collapse” of his country by targeting food, electricity and fuel supplies.

“I have data about a meeting at the White House, the full names of those who attended. I know what plans they made for the total collapse” of the country, Maduro said Saturday during a ceremony in northern Aragua state.

“They think that Venezuela will collapse in October, so long as they plan for it by sabotaging the people’s food, electricity, fuel and refineries,” he said.

Venezuela and the US have not exchanged ambassadors since 2010. However, in June US Secretary of State John Kerry and Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elias Jaua agreed on the sidelines of a regional summit in Guatemala that officials would “soon” meet for talks that could lead to an exchange of envoys.

In March, Caracas expelled two US military attaches, saying they were trying to foment instability in Venezuela.

Washington also angered Caracas by supporting Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles, who disputed the results of the April presidential election, in which Maduro won the race with 50.7 percent of the vote against 49.1 percent for Capriles.