regime

Cuba, for its part, has for more than a decade embedded intelligence and internal security advisers across Venezuela’s military services, an underdiscussed force multiplier that helps the regime police dissent and maintain loyalty.

She added that China hoped the US would "take concrete actions to safeguard the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime and maintain global strategic balance and stability".

Maduro, who faces indictment on drug charges in the United States, has accused Washington of using drug trafficking as a pretext for "imposing regime change" in Caracas to seize Venezuelan oil.

There was no attempt by the regime to hide the crime.

"Until last year, the regime had been effectively managing to render traditional politics disgusting to the overall population," he says.