Maduro says he will visit Putin in the coming hours

"In a few hours tonight, I will pay an official visit to Russia and meet with our friend, President Vladimir Putin, and his team, with a group of businessmen to analyze the dynamics of our bilateral relations and find ways to stimulate our cooperation in the economy, culture and social sphere," Maduro said.

Meanwhile, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that preparations for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's visit to Russia are underway.

Protests began against President Nicolas Maduro, shortly after he was sworn in on January 21, when National Assembly President Juan Guido illegally declared himself interim head of state, gaining recognition from a number of Western countries led by the United States of America, on the other hand Russia, China, Turkey and a number of other countries supported Maduro as the country's sole legitimate president.