Caracas, February 4 (RHC-teleSUR) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro accused officials at the U.S. Embassy in Caracas of conspiring to bribe people close to the Venezuelan government, including current and former ministers as well as military officials, in order for them to conspire against the Bolivarian government.

The President made the accusation during a televised speech Tuesday. Maduro added that the Secretary-General of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), Ernesto Samper, visits Venezuela on Wednesday to verify claims that a coup conspiracy is afoot in Venezuela, adding that he is calling on the South American bloc to work with the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to mediate in the conflict between Venezuela and the United States.

The Venezuelan leader said the Samper had been provided with proof of the activities of U.S. diplomatic staff in Venezuela and expressed hope that President Barack Obama is unaware of these activities, saying he is giving Obama “the benefit of the doubt.”

He repeated his accusation that U.S. Vice President Joe Biden was behind the plot, saying the U.S. politician told regional leaders that the Venezuelan government would be “overthrown.” Maduro said presidents of the region had told him this directly at the recent CELAC summit in Costa Rica.

The U.S. applied new sanctions against Venezuela on Monday, which were firmly repudiated by Caracas. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign affairs stated: “The people of Venezuela ratify their independence and sovereignty. We do not recognize interference of any kind by foreign powers.”

Caracas also noted that the action of the U.S. “contravenes the will of all governments and peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean,” referencing unanimous declarations at the CELAC summit against intervention in the region.

The Venezuelan government has been the target of an increasingly aggressive media campaign attacking the country’s leader’s and policies in order to justify foreign intervention.

“All imperialist wars have been precipitated by media campaigns such as this one, giving false information that hopes to provide the world with the justification for an intervention,” said Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez.