Venezuela accuses US and opposition of planning coup

CARACAS, Venezuela— Venezuela is accusing the United States and the country’s political opposition of planning a coup for Thursday, the day that government opponents have called for a march to demand a recall vote against President Nicolas Maduro.

The Foreign Ministry’s North America agency issued a statement Monday protesting U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby’s call for the release of the jailed former mayor of San Cristobal, Daniel Ceballos, who was taken from his home early Saturday by state intelligence agents and moved back to prison. He had been under house arrest.

The socialist government said Ceballos was planning to flee before the Thursday protest in Caracas and carry out violent acts to destabilize the country.