VENEZUELA warned of a “conspiracy” today after refusing to allow five right-wing “interventionist” European MPs to enter the country to meet Washington-backed coup leader Juan Guaido.

The group had previously been warned against travelling to Venezuela, with the Foreign Ministry saying that those with “conspiratorial aims” would barred from entry and calling on them to avoid the “provocation.”

Group leader Esteban Gonzalez Pons of Spain claimed: “We are being expelled from Venezuela. Our passports have been seized. They have not informed us of the reason for the expulsion.”

Other parliamentarians refused entry included Jose Ignacio Salafranca and Gabriel Mato Adrover of Spain, Esther de Lange of the Netherlands and Paulo Rangel of Portugal. 

They had been invited to Venezuela by Mr Guaido, the unelected president of the defunct National Assembly who illegitimately declared himself the country’s interim head of state in January.

He hopes to oust democratically elected President Nicolas Maduro, but, although he has the backing of a small number of imperialist countries, including the United States, the people of Venezuela and its armed forces remain loyal to the socialist Bolivarian government. 

Mr Pons claimed that the government’s action against the group of MPs shows that the European Union, which has imposed crippling sanctions on Venezuela, is left with no alternative but to cut ties with Caracas.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza explained that the group had been warned through official diplomatic channels days ago that entry to the country would not be permitted.

“The constitutional government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela will not allow the European extreme right to disturb the peace and stability of the country with another of its gross interventionist actions,” he said.