Thursday, 28 Mar 2024

Jeremy Corbyn fury: Labour leader criticised over ‘leniency for autocratic regimes’

Despite the human rights transgressions, quashing of dissent and economic crisis inflicted upon the people of Venezuela by its government, Labour leader Corbyn has been reluctant to criticise Maduro’s regime with as much animation as the current British government. Maduro is likely to be roundly condemned at the UN General Assembly, where Boris Johnson and the rest of the world leaders will be discussing global issues. The Venezuelan leader won’t be there to hear it though. He has snubbed the event to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has been an important ally for the Maduro regime. With talk of a general election still brewing in Britain, there is a chance Mr Corbyn could be the next Prime Minister to attend a General Assembly. Analyst and expert on Venezuela based in Caracas for International Crisis Group, Phil Gunson believes Mr Corbyn represents an important and rare European friend for Maduro.

He told Express.co.uk: “Of front rank European leaders now it’s hard to think of anybody still supporting the Venezuelan government.

“We still see and get at Labour Party conferences the same kind of resolutions you would get in the old days as if Venezuela was a heroic, popular regime battling imperialism, when actually it’s a very repressive regime and certainly not one progressives should be supporting in any sense at all.

“I’m sure in the Venezuelan government’s calculations they are fervently hoping Jeremy Corbyn becomes Prime Minister, what his position would be once in government I don’t know because he’d be under a lot more pressure to define whether or not he’s with the current Venezuelan government.

“How important is Corbyn to Maduro? Not very important right now while he’s an opposition figure, but still somebody Maduro is very happy to have on his side.”

Corbyn’s leniency for the autocratic, socialist regime in Caracas represents a problem for Britain on the international stage should Labour win the next election.

Britain’s allies, such as the US and much of Europe, recognise Maduro as a dictator and big contributor to the economic mess Venezuela finds itself in, a situation that has created four million refugees and left the economy crippled by hyperinflation.

Mr Gunson added: “The EU position is pretty clear, and Britain would be out of line from its European partners whether or not it is still in the EU at that time.

“If Corbyn remains a defender of Maduro in any sense it is because he simply doesn’t understand what’s going on in Venezuela.

“Even though Corbyn is of course not Maduro, you are to some extent responsible for who you support.

“There’s a saying in Spanish that more or less translates to ‘tell me who you associate with and I’ll tell you who you are’, whilst he isn’t Maduro, to make that clear he needs to be clearer himself about the true nature of this regime.”

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Should Mr Corbyn take Downing Street, Mr Gunson believes the impact on Venezuela would be minimal, but what it would do is leave the UK at odds with its most important allies.

He continued: “The practical benefits would be limited, but for a start it would remove a government who has been tough on Venezuela. I’m not particularly referring to Johnson who probably couldn’t find Venezuela on a map, but under Theresa May the UK had been one of the tougher European countries.

“There would certainly be a lot of controversy and some eyebrows raised in foreign ministries of British allies, it wouldn’t lead to them falling out just over Venezuela but it would call into question the entire foreign policy of Britain.”

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