Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has said the United States is plotting to assassinate him and overthrow his government.
He also suggested, without providing evidence, that US national security adviser John Bolton is leading a plan to invade Venezuela.
"Mr John Bolton has been assigned, once again, as the chief of a plot to fill Venezuela with violence and to seek a foreign military intervention," Mr Maduro told a news conference, adding that Mr Bolton was coordinating the training of mercenaries in military bases in Colombia and the United States.
There was no immediate comment on Mr Maduro's remarks from Bolton's office.
Mr Maduro made his accusations just days after Russian bombers landed in Venezuela to carry out joint military exercises, sparking a war of words between Moscow and Washington.
The White House has said Russia has told the United States that the bombers will leave Venezuela tomorrow.
US President Donald Trump said last year that "the military option" was on the table with regards to Venezuela, fuelling Mr Maduro's contention that Washington seeks to overthrow his leftist government, which US officials deny.
The Trump administration has levied several rounds of sanctions against Venezuela since last year.
John Bolton is a long-time opponent of leftist governments in Latin America and he announced the most recent sanctions against Venezuela last month as part of a pledge to crack down on Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua, which he dubbed the "troika of tyranny."
