Venezuela condemned U.S comments that its own military could topple President Nicolas Maduro, and said a Latin American tour by secretary of State Rex Tillerson was seeking an “intervention” against the socialist government. Venezuelan Defense minister Vladimir Padrino accused washington of seeking to undermine democracy in Latin America and return to the days of “imperialism.” Rex Tillerson said militaries in Latin America insisted he was not advocating “regime change.” Maduro is widely disliked in Venezuela due to an economic crisis which has sparked malnutrition, disease and mass emigration.