JEREMY Corbyn has been criticised by his own MPs for failing to directly condemn the Venezuelan regime led by President Nicolas Maduro as the South American country descends further into chaos.
The Labour leader denounced the violence inflicted by “all sides” during the crisis despite pressure to personally criticise Maduro, who has been accused of behaving like the “dictator of an evil regime” by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.
Veteran Labour MP Frank Field suggested the Labour leader’s comments do not befit a politician who aspires to be British prime minister.
READ MORE: Venezuela: President Nicolas Maduro issues warning after military base is attacked
And former minister John Spellar called for Corbyn to unequivocally recognise the failure of Maduro’s government.
Corbyn has previously supported the left-wing governments of Venezuela but, while on holiday in Croatia, remained silent as Maduro cracked down on his enemies following a widely disputed vote which gave his ruling socialist party near unlimited powers.
Yesterday. Corbyn said: “I’m very sad at the lives that have been lost in Venezuela. The people who have died, either those on the streets or security forces that have been attacked by people on the street – all of those lives are terrible for the loss of them.
“There has to be a dialogue and a process that respects the independence of the judiciary and respects the human rights of all.”
Asked whether he condemned Maduro’s actions, Corbyn said: “What I condemn is the violence that’s been done by any side, by all sides, in all this. Violence is not going to solve the issue.
“The issues in Venezuela are partly structural because not enough has been done to diversify the economy away from oil – that has to be a priority for the future.
“But we also have to recognise that there have been effective and serious attempts at reducing poverty in Venezuela, improving literacy and improving the lives of many of the poorest people.”
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