Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says he is willing to negotiate with the country’s opposition.
His remarks in an interview with the Russian state-owned RIA Novosti news agency came amid a dire political crisis in Venezuela.
Opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself the interim president last week and has urged citizens to challenge Mr Maduro with walkouts on Wednesday.
Mr Maduro told RIA Novosti he is “willing to sit down for talks with the opposition for the sake of Venezuela’s peace and its future”.
He said the talks could be held with mediation by other countries. Russia is one of the staunchest supporters of Mr Maduro and has offered to mediate. He also mentioned Mexico, Uruguay, Bolivia and the Vatican.
Violent street demonstrations erupted last week after Mr Guaido held a major opposition rally in Caracas and declared that he had assumed presidential powers under the constitution and planned to hold fresh elections to end Mr Maduro’s “dictatorship”.
On Tuesday, Mr Guaido urged Venezuelans to step outside their homes and workplaces for two hours on Wednesday in the first mass mobilisation since last week’s big protests.
Mr Maduro accused Donald Trump of ordering a hit on him from Colombia.
He said he was aware of “orders” by the US president for the Colombian government and the local mafia to kill him.
Russia has provided Mr Maduro’s government with loans and weapons.
A senior official said on Tuesday that Moscow is expecting “problems” ahead of an upcoming payment on Russia’s 3 billion dollar (£2.3 billion) loan.
