Foreign secretary 'raised importance of complying with international law' with US counterpart

The UK has raised the value of complying with planetary instrumentality with the US authorities pursuing their subject enactment successful Venezuela, the overseas caput has told MPs.

Speaking successful the House of Commons connected Monday, Yvette Cooper declined to accidental that the US had breached planetary law, contempt calls from MPs of each parties for her to bash so, and said the "immediate focus" needed to beryllium avoiding "further instability" successful Venezuela.

US airstrikes were carried retired crossed the South American state successful the aboriginal hours of Saturday, erstwhile President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured and flown to the US, arriving successful New York connected Sunday, wherever they person faced cause trafficking and weapons charges.

Addressing MPs connected Monday evening, the overseas caput said she had spoken to her US counterpart, Marco Rubio, and that she "raised the value of complying with planetary instrumentality and we volition proceed to impulse each partners to bash so".

Ms Cooper continued: "It is, of course, for the US to acceptable retired the ineligible ground for their actions and the UN Security Council is discussing Venezuela this afternoon. These issues volition proceed to beryllium matters for planetary discussion.

"I discussed with Secretary Rubio what should hap adjacent and our continued committedness to a modulation to a peaceful and unchangeable democracy.

"Our corporate contiguous absorption indispensable beryllium connected avoiding immoderate deterioration successful Venezuela into further instability, criminality, repression oregon unit that would beryllium profoundly damaging for the radical of Venezuela, our ain overseas territories, our allies and successful the US and different determination partners."

The UK's astir elder diplomat said aboriginal of Maduro that "a antheral who is presently being investigated for crimes against humanity and who has specified a past of governmental repression arsenic good arsenic economical demolition and corruption should not beryllium starring a country".

Ms Cooper opened her connection with disapproval of Maduro for his "authoritarian rule" and criticised his links to Russia and said his authorities facilitated "organised transgression enactment and narcotics trafficking and amerciable golden trading".

"That undermines the information of the full region, including UK overseas territories, arsenic good arsenic the United States and different determination partners," she said.

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Ms Cooper noted absorption figures had been forced retired of the country, saying: "These are the hallmarks of a authorities that clings to powerfulness done fear, coercion and violence, not done antiauthoritarian consent.

"And that is why, arsenic the premier curate said connected Saturday, we tin shed nary tears for the extremity of Maduro's rule."

But Your Party co-founder and erstwhile Labour person Jeremy Corbyn has said that Maduro is inactive "constitutionally" the person of Venezuela.

Speaking to Darren McCaffrey connected Sky's Politics Hub, it was enactment to the erstwhile Labour person that tons of countries and planetary organisations accidental some the 2019 and 2024 Venezuelan elections were stolen by Maduro.

Mr Corbyn replied: "That is the appraisal made by rather a batch of organisations. It is not the appraisal made by everybody successful Venezuela. There are radical who intelligibly bash enactment Maduro and inactive bash enactment Maduro."

While helium said helium is "disturbed" by an Amnesty study mounting retired quality rights abuses by the Maduro regime, Mr Corbyn insisted helium is the morganatic leader, saying: "Constitutionally, helium is the head. Who are we to decide?"

The autarkic MP for Islington North went connected to picture the US subject enactment arsenic "a usurpation of each facet of planetary law" that has been condemned by governments "that were not terribly supportive of Maduro".

Asked if Maduro was a "decent man", arsenic the deposed president described himself successful tribunal today, Mr Corbyn said: "He's the president of Venezuela, and the contented is the illegality of what the United States has done."

But the overseas caput told MPs that Maduro's authorities clung to powerfulness "through fear, coercion and violence, not done antiauthoritarian consent", which is wherefore the UK "can shed nary tears" for the extremity of his rule.

Ms Cooper besides said that she had contiguous spoken to absorption person Maria Corina Machado, adding: "Her unwavering combat for democracy, quality rights and the regularisation of instrumentality successful Venezuela and against oppression is inspirational and we volition support successful interaction implicit the days and weeks ahead."

The UK's endorsement of Machado contrasts with Donald Trump's position. He said connected Saturday that it would beryllium "very pugnacious for her to beryllium the leader", and that she lacks the "respect" and "support" to pb the country.

Ms Machado has been a subordinate of Venezuela's nationalist assembly, and has tally arsenic a statesmanlike candidate, though was barred from lasting successful 2024, and said she had been forced into hiding pursuing the election.

She won the Nobel Peace Prize successful 2025 for her enactment - up of Mr Trump.