Venezuela says quashing coup attempt

Tensions in Venezuela have ratcheted up to a critical level this year.

Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed acting president Juan Guaido said on Tuesday that troops had joined his campaign to oust President Nicolas Maduro as the government vowed to put down what it said was an attempted coup.

"We are currently facing and deactivating a small group of treacherous military personnel who took positions in the Altamira distributor road (in Caracas) to promote a coup d'etat," Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez said on Twitter.