News Beat
York Central MP urges government to ‘strongly condemn’ US
Rachael Maskell MP said the UK government should ensure international law is applied after Donald Trump announced that military personnel had seized Maduro and his wife on Saturday (January 3), and that the US government would henceforth “run” Venezuela until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” could be done.
The announcement has been met with international criticism, branding the action as “illegal” and a “green light” for leaders such as Vladmir Putin to further attack sovereign nations.
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Ms Maskell said: “Not to uphold international law will send a dangerous message to Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and China over its interests over Taiwan, as well as other rouge leaders, destabilising the world and undermining international safeguards against incursions.
“I believe that the UK Government, while not being judge, should strongly condemn the operation and arrests and ensure that international law is applied.
“In knowing that this was a well-planned operation, we should understand what intelligence the UK Government received prior to the invasion and what steps it took to seek to prevent a breach of international law.”
In a statement on January 3, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, said that he would “shed no tears” at the end of Maduro’s regime and had “reiterated” his support for international law.
He furthered that the government would be discussing the “evolving situation” in Venezuela with US counterparts, seeking a “safe and peaceful” transition to a legitimate government.
York Outer MP Luke Charters has subsequently described Maduro – whose claim to power in July 2024 has been deemed fraudulent by the UK – as an “oppressive dictator”.
The MP said that “many people” in Britain would support Maduro being held accountable for his crimes, but only the Venezuelan people had the right to determine their own future.
He added: “While every country, including the United States, has the right to act against international drug trafficking and transnational organised crime, I remain to be convinced that there is a clear basis in international law for the actions that took place last week.
“With the war against our Ukrainian friends still raging in Europe, and given our own history, we in Britain understand how fragile global stability can be.
“Britain has always favoured diplomacy over unilateral force.
“Going forward, it is vital that we remain in close contact with the United States and urge an inclusive and peaceful resolution to this crisis.”
It comes amid fresh proposals from Donald Trump to annex Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark – a NATO member.
In response, the Prime Minister said in an interview with Sky News on Monday (January 5): “The future of Greenland is for Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark.
“Denmark is a close European ally, a close NATO ally.”
He explained that the government was “absolutely clear” that the future of Greenland was only for the territory and its country to decide.
The interview came hours before Maduro appeared in a New York court after being charged with narco-terrorism crimes and conspiracy to possess machineguns and destructive devices against the US.
He and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty and will next attend court on March 17, 2026.
