Venezuela hits back at ‘crazy’ former U.S. adviser Bolton’s coup-plotting admission

CARACAS (Reuters) – A Venezuelan government official on Thursday called former White House national security adviser John Bolton “crazy” after his admission this week that he had tried to plot foreign coups, including backing an unsuccessful bid to oust socialist President Nicolas Maduro.

Earlier this week, Bolton said in the interview with CNN that he had helped plan coups d’etat. He did not go into detail but mentioned Venezuela, where the United States supported opposition leader Juan Guaido’s failed bid to oust President Nicolas Maduro in 2019.

Jorge Rodriguez, head of Venezuela’s government-controlled congress, responded to Bolton’s comments during a congressional session, saying that the United States had been stirring unrest.

“What was in the mind of this crazy John Bolton was that the violence would accelerate so that they could have an excuse for the invasion… a military invasion in Venezuela,” he said.

Venezuela’s Communication and Information Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Deisy Buitrago; Writing by Carolina Pulice; Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)