Thornberry Condemns US Action in Venezuela, Says It Breaches International Law

According to Dame Emily Thornberry, a senior Labour MP in the UK, the military intervention in Venezuela violated international law and should be categorically denounced by the UK.

After US strikes 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 to date.

The UK government has not stated if the US move was unlawful. Rather, it demands that the United States provide a legal justification for its actions.

Labour MPs, as well as leaders of the Liberal Democrats, Green Party, and SNP, have criticized the strikes, however.

Dame Emily stated that she “cannot think of anything that could be a proper justification” and that the strikes were “not a legal action” during her appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour.

“We cannot have breaches of international law like this,” she said, urging the UK and its partners to make a strong statement. The law of the jungle is not something we can have.

“We condemn Putin for doing that,” she continued. It is imperative that we clarify that Donald Trump should also refrain from doing so.

Individuals just cannot do as they like. We truly can’t have anarchy on a global scale.

Dame Emily cautioned that the US decision might lead China and Russia to follow suit.

“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 be able to 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,” the speaker stated.

It is likely that President Putin will respond, “Well, Ukraine is within my zone of control; what are you complaining about? It’s possible that Xi will say that about Taiwan. It is really concerning and creates a horrible precedent.

So yet, very few Labour MPs have officially stated that the US violated international law. Later, when the foreign secretary speaks in Parliament, there will likely be further criticism.

Sir Keir Starmer, the prime minister, has not denounced the US strikes. He has incorporated his bond with Donald Trump into his foreign policy.

He told the BBC that before determining whether or not the strikes were unlawful, he wanted to wait until all the facts were known. He added that he has been a champion of international law for his entire life.

According to Home Office Minister Mike Tapp, Maduro “was an evil, illegitimate dictator who tortured people,” and now that he was out of office, Venezuela was “a safer place.”

He declared, “We need to see a democratic, safe, and peaceful transition of power now.”

“As a nation, we have made it very clear that we will always uphold international law.”

Tapp reiterated that “it is 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 United States and its allies.

The UK is part of the UN Security Council, which is scheduled to convene to debate the US move.

Parties in opposition are urging the administration to denounce the strikes. The SNP, Greens, and Liberal Democrats have all denounced the US action.

Maduro is “a brutal and illegitimate dictator,” according to Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, who also cautioned that “unlawful attacks like this make us all less safe.”

Zack Polanski, head of the Green Party, claimed that the strikes violated international law. John Swinney, the leader of the SNP, stated that it is “absolutely essential that all nations act within the international rules based system.”

The Conservative Party stated that it was crucial to hold off on passing judgment on the US move until all the facts were known.

The US’s actions against Venezuela are “totally understandable,” according to shadow minister Alex Burghart.

He declared, “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,” but if it made China and Russia “think twice,” it might be beneficial, according to reform UK leader Nigel Farage.

Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores, were removed from Caracas by a combined US military and law enforcement operation.

In New York, they are currently charged with guns and drugs. According to US officials, they profited from a violent organization that smuggled cocaine into the country.

The allegations have been refuted by Maduro, who maintains they are a pretext for his removal from office.

According to Donald Trump, he will “run the country” until a “proper” transfer of authority occurs. It is anticipated that Delcy Rodríguez, the vice president of Venezuela, will take over as president.