Dame Emily Thornberry, a senior Labour MP in the UK, has stated that the military intervention in Venezuela violated international law and that the UK should strongly denounce it.
After US bombings over the weekend resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, she is the highest ranking Labour official to criticize President Donald Trump thus far.
Whether the US move was unlawful has not been stated by the UK authorities. Rather, it requires the US to provide the legal justification for its actions.
However, leaders of the Liberal Democrats, Green Party, and SNP, as well as Labour MPs, have criticized the strikes.
Dame Emily stated that the strikes were “not a legal action” and that she “cannot think of anything that could be a proper justification” in an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour.
“We cannot have breaches of international law like this,” she said, urging the UK and its allies to adopt a firm stance. The law of the jungle cannot apply to us.
“We condemn Putin for doing it,” she continued. It’s important to emphasize that Donald Trump shouldn’t be doing it either.
“People are just unable to do as they choose. We simply cannot have some sort of global anarchy.
Dame Emily cautioned that China and Russia might respond similarly as a result of the US action.
“This growing idea that Trump, [Russian President] Putin, and [Chinese President] Xi should all have their spheres of influence and that other countries should not get involved and that they should essentially do what they think is the right thing to do, what they want to do in the interests of their country, in the countries in the surrounding area,” she stated.
It’s likely that President Putin will respond, “Well, Ukraine is in my sphere of influence; what are you complaining about?” Xi might say the same thing about Taiwan. It is really concerning and sets a bad precedent.
To date, very few Labour MPs have officially said that the United States violated international law. Later, when the foreign secretary makes a statement in Parliament, more criticism is anticipated.
The US strikes have not drawn criticism from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. His foreign strategy now heavily relies on his connection with Donald Trump.
He told the BBC that before determining whether the strikes were unlawful, he wanted to wait until all the facts were known. Additionally, he declared himself to be a “lifelong advocate of international law.”
Maduro “was an evil, illegitimate dictator who tortured people,” according to Home Office Minister Mike Tapp, who also asserted that Venezuela was “a safer place” now that he was out of office.
“A democratic, secure, and peaceful transition of power is what we need to see now,” he declared.
“As a country, we have made it very clear that we will always follow international law.”
Tapp reiterated that “it’s for the United States to lay out its legal basis for what it’s done” and described the matter as “complex.”
Before making a choice, he continued, the UK will consult with the US and its allies.
The UK is scheduled to attend a meeting of the UN Security Council to address the US move.
The administration is being urged by opposition parties to denounce the strikes. The US action has drawn criticism from the Liberal Democrats, Greens, and SNP.
Maduro is “a brutal and illegitimate dictator,” according to Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, but he cautioned that “unlawful attacks like this make us all less safe.”
Zack Polanski, the leader of the Green Party, claimed that the strikes violated international law. It is “absolutely essential that all nations act within the international rules based system,” according to SNP leader John Swinney.
The Conservative Party stated that before evaluating the US move, it was crucial to wait for all the information.
Alex Burghart, the shadow minister, stated that the US’s actions against Venezuela were “totally understandable.”
He stated, “Maduro had not been abiding by international law for a considerable amount of time, regardless of what international lawyers say about whether this was legal or not.”
The conduct was “unorthodox and contrary to international law,” according to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, but it would be beneficial if it caused China and Russia to “think twice.”
A combined US military and law enforcement operation removed Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores, from Caracas.
In New York, they are currently being charged with firearms and drugs. According to US officials, they profited from a violent group that smuggled cocaine into the country.
The accusations have been refuted by Maduro, who maintains they are a pretext for his removal from office.
Until there is a “proper” transfer of authority, Donald Trump has said that he will “run the country.” Delcy Rodriguez, the vice president of Venezuela, is anticipated to take over as interim president.
