“We shed no tears”: Keir Starmer’s statement on Maduro and Venezuela
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has seemingly sided with President Donald Trump following the capture of Venezuelan President Maduro, but called for the rule of international law to be upheld.
“The UK has long supported a transition of power in Venezuela. We regarded Maduro as an illegitimate President and we shed no tears about the end of his regime,” Starmer said in a statement on Saturday (3 January).
“I reiterated my support for international law this morning. The UK government will discuss the evolving situation with US counterparts in the days ahead as we seek a safe and peaceful transition to a legitimate government that reflects the will of the Venezuelan people.”
Starmer’s comments come after US President Donald Trump announced the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro after a series of pre-dawn strikes in the country on Saturday morning.
The US has not made such a direct intervention in Latin America since it invaded Panama in 1989 to depose the then-military leader Manuel Noriega.
In a post on social media, Trump said that both Maduro and his wife had been captured and had subsequently been flown out of the country.
The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow. There will be a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP
Trump has levied several claims against Maduro in recent weeks, including that he was complicit in allowing drug smuggling to the US, that he was a dictator, and that he did not recognise Maduro’s presidency after the 2024 elections were widely dismissed as neither free nor fair.
Venezuela’s government confirmed that the city of Caracas had come under attack, as well as three other states: Miranda, La Guaira, and Aragua.
It added that the only objective of this attack is to seize control of Venezuela’s strategic resources, in particular its oil and minerals, calling on the international community to denounce the US’s actions.
In a subsequent press conference, Trump confirmed that the US would effectively take over the governing of Venezuela during a transitional period.
