The “vast majority” of Labour MPs want to see democracy in Venezuela, the Prime Minister said as he faces calls from backbenchers to take a tougher line with Donald Trump.
Sir Keir Starmer has come under pressure from MPs on Labour’s left to condemn the US military action that saw Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro captured and taken to New York.
They include Liverpool Riverside MP Kim Johnson, who questioned whether the UK still stood for “international law and sovereignty”.
Sir Keir has resisted such demands, saying over the weekend he would wait to “establish the facts”.
On Monday, he told reporters Venezuela must undergo a “peaceful transition to democracy” as quickly as possible.
Describing Maduro as “illegitimate”, he said: “I think the vast majority of Labour MPs would say that they want to see democracy in Venezuela. That is hugely important.”
He added that international law had to be the “anchor” for the future of Venezuela.
But he declined to comment on whether the American operation breached international law, saying the situation was “complicated” and it was “for the US to set out its justifications for the actions that it’s taken”.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is expected to make a statement to MPs on the situation in Venezuela on Monday afternoon, when she is likely to face further questions on whether the UK backs Maduro’s capture.
Maduro is due to appear in court in New York on Monday after he was indicted along with his wife Flores on charges of “narco-terrorism”.
The UN Security Council, of which the UK is a permanent member, is due to meet on Monday to discuss the operation in Venezuela.
Earlier, Home Office minister Mike Tapp declined to comment on whether the UK planned to abstain on any vote during the meeting.
Asked why he thought the US president had instigated the operation, Mr Tapp told Sky News: “This is for Donald Trump to answer, and I think he has said in his press conference, which I watched with interest, around narco-terrorism and that threat.”
Pressed by the broadcaster whether Venezuela’s vast oil wealth may have influenced the operation, Mr Tapp replied: “It’s not for me or the British Government at this point to go into that detail.
“It’s for the United States to lay out its legal basis for this operation.”
Speaking to reporters over the weekend, Mr Trump revealed his plans to “fix” Venezuela’s oil infrastructure and sell “large amounts” of the fuel to other nations.
The removal of Maduro is seen as the most assertive US intervention to achieve regime change since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and followed months of pressure from Washington on the country and its autocratic leader.
Widespread protests followed Maduro’s apparent victory in the 2024 Venezuelan presidential election, amid accusations that electoral fraud led to him retaining power.
He was also accused of human rights abuses and corruption during his leadership.
Delcy Rodriguez, who served as Maduro’s vice president, has indicated she hopes to work with the US now she is the country’s interim leader.
The Trump administration has not indicated support for replacing the ruling regime with a government led by Maduro’s opposition rival Maria Corina Machado, who recently won the Nobel Peace Prize.
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