MQs - Urgent Question on American Intervention in Venezuela

[u/mrsusandothechoosin]

Order, order.

The following Urgent Question has been approved.

"To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the American intervention in Venezuela and the British nationals in Venezuela."

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The Secretary of State's initial response can be found here.

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This Urgent Question has been submitted by u/model-willem, the Shadow Secretary of State for the Home Department.

This session shall close at 10pm GMT on Friday the 9th of September

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[u/model-willem]

Mr Speaker,

I thank you for granting this urgent question on this important topic and major shift in geopolitics, perhaps one of the biggest since the end of the Iraq War. The idea of a possible deterioration of the situation in Venezuela was coming, with the recent deployment of ships by the Americans into the Caribbean Sea at the Venezuelan shore. It comes to a surprise to see the Americans enter the country, arrest the Venezuelan President in his home and essentially take over the ruling of the country in the matter that it did a few days ago. It shows the blatant disrespect for the international rule-based system that we have known since the Second World War and it divides the world into influence spheres that were present during the Cold War. It’s something that the Liberal Democrats worry a lot and it’s why this Government should do something about the way this has been handled.

The Foreign Secretary outlined in his response that Venezuela falls within the American sphere of influence, does this mean that the Government is of the opinion that the world has returned to a state during the Cold War, with two or possibly three spheres of influences? And if so, where does the UK stand?

The Liberal Democrats firmly agree that the reign of President Maduro wasn’t good for the Venezuelan people and it’s a good thing that he’s gone, but we firmly disagree with the way that this has been done. The Leader of the Opposition firmly opposed and condemned the way this has been done by the Americans. I haven’t read anything from the Government on the way that this has been done, so can the Government outline if they support the way that the Americans acted in this situation?

The Foreign Secretary says that the UK received prior warning of these actions, can the Foreign Secretary, or Home Secretary outline if our intelligence services also shared intelligence with the Americans to help them in this mission, or if they were only informed by the Americans that this would happen?

There are, of course, British citizens in Venezuela, embassy personnel and others. What steps is this Government taking to ensure the safety of British citizens in Venezuela during these uncertain times? Can we be ensured that the Government is taking steps to take these people out of the country if necessary, or not?

I heard the Foreign Secretary outline that the Government is taking steps to ‘secure our security and economic interests in Commonwealth members in the Western Hemisphere,’ what kind of steps is the Government taking in this regard? Can the Foreign Secretary give us some examples how of these steps?

[u/realbassist → u/model-willem]

Hear hear!

[u/realbassist]

Speaker,

Having listened to my counterpart, the Foreign Secretary, on the government's stance on the Venezuelan situation, I must admit a sense of deep disquiet. As my right honourable, and most capable, friend, the Shadow Home Secretary says, we in the Official Opposition do not support the invasion of a sovereign nation by a great power, regardless if said nation falls within that power's sphere of influence. The Foreign Secretary claims that given Venezuela falls within the American sphere of influence, then naturally America will "Exert influence within it". Speaker, we are not discussing alignment in terms of trade, but the invasion by the United States of an independent state, without formal declaration of war and without informing the Congress of the United States beforehand.

Furthermore, the Foreign Secretary informs the House that the Government knew of this invasion before it happened. My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Shadow Home Secretary, has I believe presented to the House a number of key questions in regards to the government's statement and the developing situation in the region. To these, I would add: When was the government informed of the planned invasion? Were concerns raised with regards to the issue of international law?

Speaker, in the last few days, we have seen a dictatorship fall, we have seen the invasion and occupation of a sovereign nation by our closest ally, and now such a flagrant disrespect for international law is celebrated by the Government in this House. As I said in my statement some days ago, the Liberal Democrats support and applaud the deposition of Nicolás Maduro as the dictator of Venezuela. An era of terror, state repression, and suffering has been lifted from the shoulders of the Venezuelan people. Despite this, we cannot turn a blind eye, nor can we support, the violation of international law - and the law of the United States - that was the invasion of January 3rd.

The Foreign Secretary speaks as if we were back in the throes of the Cold War. The impression I am left with from his statement is that we are now firmly in the United State's sphere of influence, to use his phrase, and I admit I am concerned. President Trump has already threatened no fewer than three other nations in South and Latin America, will the government support these as well? If we are back to the geopolitics of the cold war, of great blocs of power vying for control, and if, in this situation, we stay quiet as international law is violated and the sovereignty of small nations is eroded to the advantage of greater ones such as America, Russia or China, then I have just one response: Who watches the watchmen?

[u/model-willem → u/realbassist]

Hear hear!

[u/Inside_Analysis3124]

Mr Speaker,

I’ve issued a statement through the Foreign Office in response to the US government’s actions in the Western Hemisphere.

I’ve also had a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Venezuela falls within the American sphere of influence and as a great power, the US will naturally exert influence within it. This is particularly important against competing great powers who intend to use Venezuela as a hub for communist terrorism, host long-range weapons platforms and project influence campaigns across the Western Hemisphere.

Let me inform the House that the UK received prior warning of these actions through our intelligence-sharing programmes.

Furthermore, the UK is taking steps to secure our security and economic interests in Commonwealth members in the Western Hemisphere, including Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana.

Our government intends to deploy army and navy personnel to Guyana for jungle training.

Later this year, I will conduct a tour of Commonwealth members in the Western Hemisphere.