Caracas, January 10 (RHC)-- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Wednesday that his country is under threat of a coup.  Maduro said: "A coup is underway, ordered from Washington (capital of the U.S.), ordered from the Lima Cartel (Lima Group), in Venezuela.  And the Venezuelan people will know how to respond to any attempt, any intentions that are intended today or tomorrow. (...) The Bolivarian Revolution has been preparing to confront and defeat any traitor who intends to violate life in Venezuela."

The president added that any attempt against democracy should face justice system, the constitution and the power of the union between civilians and the military.

During a press conference on national television from the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, the Bolivarian leader affirmed that the country is in a moment of definitions, and accused the media and the countries involved of turning his inauguration for a constitutional second term into a world war.

"What we have seen in recent weeks is unparalleled, the extremist forces against Venezuela have been unleashed," said Nicolas Maduro, saying that the only objective of these operations is to destabilize and fill Venezuela with violence, confusion and chaos "to seize its riches and change the course of history."

In addition, he accused the so-called Lima Group of being a "cartel of mafia interests," commanded by the United States and violating the rules of international coexistence through issuing the declaration of last week, which he categorized as being an "order" from the Venezuelan opposition.

His press conference was held just one day before taking the oath of office for his second term (2019-2025), after winning the presidential elections on May 20, 2018 with 67.84 percent of the vote.