VENEZUELAN DEFENSE Minister Vladimir Padrino said on Thursday that Nicolas Maduro was the country’s “legitimate president” and that the opposition was carrying out a coup after Juan Guaido, the leader of congress, declared himself president.

Image: Nicolas Maduro

Padrino said the United States and other governments were carrying out an economic war against Venezuela, an OPEC nation with the world’s largest crude reserves.

However, Britain’s Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt said on Thursday that Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who declared himself president on Wednesday, is the right person to take the country forward, .

“The United Kingdom believes Juan Guaido is the right person to take Venezuela forward. We are supporting the US, Canada, Brazil and Argentina to make that happen,” he told media during a visit to Washington.

Hunt added that Britain did not regard Nicolas Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate leader following elections on May 20 last year that Britain said had been “deeply flawed”.