CARACAS, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela's Defense Minister, Vladimir Padrino Lopez, reiterated Wednesday the support of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), the full name of Venezuelan army, for the government of President Nicolas Maduro, after the U.S. published a statement on Tuesday, threatening economic sanctions against the country.

At a press conference, Padrino Lopez read a statement from the army, vowing that "the FANB categorically rejects interfering acts...and repudiates the damaging declaration of U.S. President Donald Trump who...has dared to cruelly threaten the Venezuelan people."

The U.S. statement was a repudiation of Maduro's planned National Constituent Assembly (ANC), which would rewrite the Constitution. Venezuela's opposition has called this a power grab by the Maduro regime and the U.S. seemed to agree.

Trump's statement on Tuesday said that "if the Maduro regime imposes its Constituent Assembly on July 30, the United States will take strong and swift economic actions."

In response, Padrino Lopez called this "a vile and cowardly statement...customary of North American imperialism."

On July 30, Venezuela will hold elections for the ANC. However, last Sunday, the opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable held an unofficial referendum, in which it said over 7 million Venezuelans participated and largely rejected the idea of the ANC.