Corbyn’s allies to share stage with envoy of despot
LABOUR is to allow allies of Jeremy Corbyn to share a conference platform with Venezuela’s ambassador to Britain.
Left-wing MPs Chris Williamson and Karen Lee, an aide to shadow chancellor John McDonnell, will take to the stage with envoy Rocio Del Valle Maneiro Gonzalez and Cuban diplomats at the fringe event at Labour’s conference next month.
The event, ‘Hands off Latin America – No to blockade of Cuba and sanctions on Venezuela’, is organised by the Cuban Solidarity Campaign and the Venezuelan Solidarity Campaign.
The latter is closely linked to the trade union Unite, which supports Mr Corbyn. Tony Burke, its assistant general secretary, is also due to appear.
MPs condemned the move, saying it showed Labour does not support human rights.
Andrew Bridgen, the Conservative MP for North West Leicestershire, said: ‘Nobody who supports human rights could put their name to an event that supports the Maduro regime.’ Simon Clarke, the Tory MP for Middlesbrough South and Cleveland, added: ‘It defies belief that Labour MPs are inviting the ambassador of a regime that has bankrupted its country and murdered scores of its people to their conference.’
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable told The Times that the event underlined Labour’s ‘ unhealthy obsession with supporting an authoritarian regime’.
Last month Mr Corbyn was criticised for refusing to condemn the regime after previously speaking in support of its communist policies. He condemned ‘violence that’s been done by any side, by all sides, in all this’, stopping short of denouncing the socialist president. His remarks were slammed by politicians, including some from his own party.
Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday condemned the Venezuelan government of President Nicolas Maduro, which has been accused of brutally putting down protests.
Mrs May said the Government was ‘deeply troubled’ by the detention of political activists and called on the regime to ‘ ensure that human rights ... are respected’.