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In , United States National Security Advisor John Bolton admitted the US government was backing an illegal coup in Venezuela in order to control the South American nation’s sizeable oil reserves.

“It will make a big difference to the United States economically if we could have American oil companies invest in and produce the oil capabilities in Venezuela,” Bolton told Fox News on January 28.

In response, Venezuelan foreign minister Jorge Arreaza tweeted: “Confession ... @ AmbJohnBolton confirms that the COUP is about OIL.”

On January 30, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro accused the US of seeking to grab his nation’s resources, saying: “The reason is seizing the oil of Venezuela, because we have the largest oil reserves, we confirm that we have the largest reserves of gold in the world, we have the world’s fourth-largest gas (reserves), have large reserves of coltan, diamonds, aluminium, iron, we have drinking water reserves throughout the national territory, we have energy and natural resources.”

In response, Maduo insisted: “They consider us their backyard. And we say that we are not anyone’s backyard, we are an independent republic.”