Jeremy Corbyn finally speaks up on Venezuela. Anti-war activists won’t be disappointed.

Jeremy Corbyn
John McEvoy


Jeremy Corbyn has finally weighed in on the ongoing US-backed coup attempt in Venezuela.

On 1 February, the Labour leader tweeted:

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A recent poll showed that 78% of Venezuelans oppose international intervention to remove Venezuela’s elected president, and that 84% support the call for dialogue.

Labour: anti-imperialist

Corbyn’s support for “dialogue and a negotiated settlement” is consistent with his longstanding anti-war stance. For many, this is further proof that Labour will no longer support the US – as it did with the disastrous invasion of Iraq – in its imperialist ventures.

His comments are consistent with those of the shadow secretary of state for justice and shadow lord chancellor, Richard Burgon. On 31 January, Burgon told a BBC Question Time audience:

I remember another time when a right-wing out-of-control US president, George Bush, got involved in interfering in another country in relation to oil, and that was in Iraq. And, of course, no one wants to see that kind of thing happen again…

I think what we need is a negotiated outcome.

Corbyn’s opposition to further US sanctions on Venezuela is also vital, considering they are already economically strangling the country. And that fits in with popular opinion in Venezuela, where 81% of people oppose such sanctions.

Socialism

As The Canary previously reported, many right-wingers try to use Venezuela’s economic woes to deligitimise socialist politicians in the US and the UK. It’s a typical smear. And it’s a complete fallacy. But such arguments are only likely increase following Corbyn’s latest criticism of US meddling in Venezuela.

With UK foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt‘s support for the Venezuelan opposition, much of the establishment media will try to draw an imagined line between Corbyn’s support for a “dictator” (i.e. the elected president) and the so-called “democratic” forces trying to oust him undemocratically. Once again, the media will be functioning as an agent for Western imperialism.

The issue at stake here is Venezuelan sovereignty. And not for the first time, Corbyn is on the money.

He must now go one step further and call on the US to end devastating economic sanctions altogether.

Featured image via Rwendland

Get involved

  • Join the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign.
  • Message your MP to ask them to condemn Trump’s actions.
  • Support Witness for Peace in its campaigns for peace and social justice in Latin America. You can also travel on one its many delegations to the region.
  • Check out The Canary‘s Latin America coverage.

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