LONDON, February 12. /TASS/. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has stated that he will not allow the delivery of American humanitarian aid to Venezuela, as the US is thus trying to justify a military intervention, he told BBC in an interview on Tuesday.

The US is sparking a war to seize Venezuela, he said, highlighting that "Venezuela is a country that has the capacity to satisfy all the necessities of our people" and that "our people do not to beg from anyone." Maduro called the American sanctions the reason behind Venezuela’s economic problems that in this way the US "has intended to create a humanitarian crisis in order to justify a military intervention."

The Venezuelan leader harshly criticized the American administration, blaming it for the persecution of far-right views. "It's a political war, of the United States empire, of the interests of the extreme right that today is governing, of the Ku Klux Klan, that rules the White House, to take over Venezuela," he added.

Humanitarian help for Venezuela has been gathered in Colombia’s city of Cucuta since the last week. However, the Venezuelan army blocked and took over the protection the bridge across which the cargoes could be delivered to Venezuela. TASS reported from Caracas that the appeal to let humanitarian cargoes to the country will become the main slogan of the rally on February 12 dedicated to Youth Day 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. Several countries, including the United States, Lima Group members (excluding Mexico), Australia, Albania, Georgia and Israel, as well as the Organization of American States, recognized him. Incumbent Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, in turn, blasted the move as a coup staged by Washington and said he was severing diplomatic ties with the US.

Several European countries delivered the ultimatum to hold an early presidential election and after its expiration recognized Guaido as interim president. In contrast, Russia, Belarus, Bolivia, Iran, Cuba, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Turkey voiced support for Maduro.