Venezuela's Foreign Minister, Delcy Rodriguez, repeated Sunday that the government of Nicolas Maduro wanted to maintain diplomatic relations with the United States, grounded on mutual respect.

“Since last year, President Maduro has stated to Barack Obama's administration his government's will to maintain relations,” she said during an interview with Jose Vicente Hoy on the public TV channel VTV.

She added that the relations should be "grounded on respect, equality and sovereignty between states—principles included in the United Nations Charter."

Rodriguez warned that Venezuela will not tolerate any interference in its domestic affairs, and called on the U.S. administration to think twice before making any move against the Venezuelan government, saying it could affect the population dramatically.

“We are aware of the moves against our people, like the economic war, the various attacks, from the media, the financial power,” she said, adding that they were all part of non-conventional techniques of war “used to defeat governments that are not aligned with the interests of the Empire.”