A UK Cabinet minister has defended Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's cautious response to the US capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, stating the PM is choosing his words "wisely" to improve a deteriorating situation. The defense follows mounting pressure from Labour backbenchers demanding Starmer condemn the Saturday military raid on Caracas.
Wes Streeting told BBC Breakfast on Tuesday that Starmer faces a different responsibility than other critics. «I appreciate there are others who have been more strident and have been more critical of the United States,» the Cabinet minister said. «The Prime Minister has a different responsibility, and he is choosing his words carefully and wisely to try and influence how events unfold from here on.»
The controversy stems from a middle-of-the-night US military operation on January 3, during which forces seized Maduro and his wife from their home following strikes on Caracas. Maduro appeared in a New York court on Monday, pleading not guilty to "narco-terrorism" charges and claiming prisoner of war status. His deputy Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as Venezuela's interim leader.
Starmer's Measured Stance
Starmer has declined to directly condemn the US action, instead emphasizing on Monday that international law must be the "anchor" for Venezuela's future. The Prime Minister's reluctance reflects Europe's reliance on Washington for security guarantees for Ukraine, according to Streeting.
Streeting characterized the Venezuelan situation as «further morbid symptoms of the disintegration of the rules-based system. And a world without rules is a world in which we are all less safe.» He stressed the need to consider «how to make a challenging situation better, not worse» for European collective security and the Venezuelan people.
International Law Concerns
Dame Emily Thornberry, chairwoman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, described the US action as a breach of international law. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told MPs on Monday she raised the importance of international law with her US counterpart Marco Rubio, though she did not explicitly state whether the US action violated it.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed being «deeply concerned that rules of international law have not been respected with regard to the January 3 military action.» He warned the incident could set a "grave" precedent for international relations. The UN Charter Article 2 specifies that members should refrain from «the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.»
Downing Street sidestepped questions about whether the UK recognizes Rodriguez as legitimate leader or views recent events as regime change. «It's a fast-moving situation. We are focused on supporting stability in Venezuela and the best interests of the Venezuelan people,» a spokesman stated. The UK had previously imposed sanctions on Rodriguez, with questions remaining whether these will be lifted.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
