Addressing over 3,000 young people at a Latin American Youth Summit in the Bolivian city of Santa Cruz, Morales branded the US an “empire” with its eye on Venezuelan oil wealth, RT reported Thursday.
“I believe [the US] are trying to incite if not a coup d’état then a civil war from their empire,” Morales said.
“They are always going to sponsor internal conflict so that they can interfere and invade us to take control of our oil reserves.”
The world needs an “anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist and anti-colonial youth,” added the Bolivian president, urging Latin Americans to stand together in solidarity with Venezuela.
Morales then went on to emphasized that there was no danger of a coup d’état in Bolivia since his government had expelled US Ambassador Phillip Golberg in 2008 after La Paz charged that he was collaborating in a plot to overthrow the government.
Venezuela has been gripped by a wave of anti-government protests since February which has left at least 41 people dead and over 600 injured.
The Venezuelan government has recognized people’s right to demonstrate, but has accused foreign-backed, right-wing extremists of hijacking the protests in an attempt to oust President Nicolas Maduro.
At present, the Maduro government is in dialogue with some of the members of the opposition movement to try and find a peaceful solution to the conflict.
Maduro announced last week that Venezuela was facing an “economic war” and as such his government intended to fight back with a new “offensive” to combat capitalism.
He set out the main aims of the new initiative on Monday, including the encouragement of supply and production and the stabilization of prices in Venezuela.
“This new economic offensive should bring prosperity to the people and the country. Neoliberalism speaks of growth, but growth for whom? For those that always had wealth, not the have-nots,” Maduro said.
Maduro has blamed the Venezuelan turmoil on Washington, insisting that the US is orchestrating the unrest with the aim of overthrowing his government.
Back in March, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elias Jaua accused US Secretary of State John Kerry of inciting murder and violence in the Latin American country.
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