By Conor Bollins
In the last parliamentary session, over 40 MPs signed an Early Day Motion condemning Donald Trump’s military aggression against Venezuela. In January, the US caried out a widespread aerial bombardment of Caracas, the country’s capital. These attacks led to over 100 deaths and also involved the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.
The Early Day Motion, which was tabled by Richard Burgon MP, described how “this action constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter, including the prohibition on the use of force and the principle of non-intervention in the affairs of sovereign states.” Socialist Campaign Group MPs from Labour, alongside Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott, acted as the motion’s sponsors. It was also supported by MPs from Plaid Cymru, the SNP, the Independent Alliance, and the Liberal Democrats.
The motion argued that Trump’s aggression has been aimed at trying to secure control of the country’s oil reserves, which are the largest proven oil reserves in the world. It further contended that these attacks are connected to Trump’s wider attempt to “reassert colonial-style domination over Latin America, as set out in the recent US National Security Strategy.” The similar threats made against Colombia and Mexico, and the escalation of the blockade against Cuba, have vindicated this assessment.
Venezuela Solidarity Campaign (VSC) would like to thank the hundreds of people who emailed their local MPs asking them to support this motion. We think it is very welcome that the motion also called on the UK Government to “unequivocally condemn” Trump’s actions. Since January, in response to these developments, VSC has organised a series of demonstrations outside Downing Street and the US Embassy in London. In addition to campaigning for the UK government to release the billions of pounds worth of Venezuelan gold that has been impounded at the Bank of England, VSC will soon be launching a petition demanding an end to Trump’s show trial of Maduro.