Maduro Claims U.S. Plot Seeks to Bring down Venezuela

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has claimed the White House is plotting the "collapse" of his government next month by sabotaging food, electricity and fuel supplies.

"I have data about a meeting at the White House, the full names of those who attended. I know what plans they made for the total collapse" of the country, Maduro said Saturday during a ceremony in northern Aragua state.

"They think that Venezuela will collapse in October, so long as they plan for it by sabotaging the people's food, electricity, fuel and refineries."

In recent months, the Venezuelan government has made several allegations about conspiracies against it and plots to kill Maduro, who even stated that Washington wanted to kill him at the same time that it carried out a possible attack on Syria.

Maduro's predecessor, the late Hugo Chavez, also made claims about several plots to kill him.

On Tuesday, Maduro claimed the Venezuelan opposition had sabotaged the electrical power grid after a massive blackout left 70 percent of the country without power for at least four hours.

"The empire will fall before Venezuela, which won't collapse, by sabotage or anything," Maduro told supporters, using a euphemism for the United States.