LA PAZ – The Bolivian and Venezuelan governments on Friday accused the United States of promoting a conspiracy to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, but said they will not allow that to happen.

The situation Venezuela is going through was discussed at a meeting between Bolivian President Evo Morales and Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez this Friday in the central Bolivian city of Cochabamba.

In a statement to the media, Rodriguez said she informed Morales in detail about “how Venezuelans are a people who will defend their sovereignty and independence against Washington’s plans to bring down the legitimate and constitutional government of President Nicolas Maduro.”

“There are plans, as we have been seen and reported, of a continued preparation for a coup d’etat that aims to expel President Maduro through different means, but we can say with all certainty that it will not happen,” the Venezuelan minister said.

Morales expressed his support for his political ally Maduro against what he considered an “open conspiracy of the United States against the Bolivarian Revolution of Venezuela.”

He criticized the decision of the Venezuelan legislature, controlled by the opposition, to launch a process to determine Maduro’s responsibility in violating the constitution by suspending the recall referendum against his presidency.

For Morales, the resolution of Venezuela’s National Assembly “is unconstitutional” and is part of a “conspiracy to mount a coup d’etat” and could “possibly pave the way for a U.S. intervention” in that country.

He also questioned the call by the MUD opposition alliance for a march next Nov. 3 to the presidential palace because, in his opinion, “that is a conspiracy, it’s a coup.”

Rodriguez for her part spoke of the 12-hour strike called by the Venezuelan opposition and said that plan “has been defeated” because the Venezuelan people are working normally.

“Workers there launched the slogan: ‘Factory abandoned, factory confiscated,’” Rodriguez said

The Venezuelan armed forces will take over the companies that join the 12-hour general strike called by the opposition for this Friday, she said.

Ruling party legislator Diosdado Cabello, considered the No. 2 official of Chavism, said Wednesday that the armed forces will take over any companies that remain closed for the strike and that President Nicolas Maduro is also committed to that decision.