Venezuela: Moscow persuaded Maduro not to step down, US claims

US secretary of state says leader ‘had airplane on tarmac’ to leave for Cuba but Russia convinced him to stay* Follow for the latest updates as clashes erupt in VenezuelaThe Venezuelan leader, Nicolás Maduro, “had an airplane on the tarmac” and was ready to leave for exile in Cuba when he was persuaded not to step down by Moscow, the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has claimed.In a day when the struggle for power on the streets appeared to hang in the balance,