Corbyn silent as his socialist utopia burns over ‘sham’ election
JEREMY Corbyn was criticised last night for his silence over Venezuela’s ‘sham election’ that has plunged the South American country into violence.
Pro-democracy protesters in paramilitary-style gear clashed again with security forces yesterday.
Explosions rocked the streets during protests against a power grab by authoritarian far-Left president Nicolas Maduro.
But the Labour leader has remained quiet on Venezuela, which he had hailed as a socialist utopia that showed ‘a different and a better way of doing things’.
Mr Corbyn refused to comment on the hyperinflation, food shortages, corruption and state-sponsored brutality caused by Maduro continuing the Marxist policies of his predecessor Hugo Chavez.
Last year he deleted a string of online articles he had written hailing the socialist government of Venezuela.
And despite posting on Twitter yesterday about NHS staffing, the centenary of the battle of Passchendaele and the England women’s football team, he had nothing to say on the clashes in Venezuelan capital Caracas. Tory MP Chris Philp said: ‘The country that refers to Jeremy Corbyn as a friend of socialism is in turmoil.
‘With accusations of a sham election and riots on the streets it is unacceptable that the man who has claimed Leftists in Latin America had much to teach us all remains deathly silent.
‘The British people deserve to know if the Labour leader still supports Maduro’s regime in Venezuela.’
Rioting continued yesterday after the elections which will allow Maduro’s ruling party to carry out sweeping constitutional reforms that would give it virtually unlimited powers.
Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, dismissed the vote as a ‘sham election’ and a ‘step towards dictatorship’.
A string of nations – including Britain – have said they will not recognise Sunday’s result.
There have been at least ten deaths, including two children, as violence marred Sunday’s vote.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson described the election as ‘dubious’, adding: ‘Venezuela stands on the brink of disaster and Maduro must stop before it is too late. The country is turning on itself and democracy, and basic rights are in jeopardy.
‘It is time for the government to see sense and start working with the opposition on a way forward that brings the people of Venezuela back together.’
There was international condemnation over the vote to create a new assembly with the power to dissolve the oppositioncontrolled parliament and rewrite the constitution – criticised as a first step towards a dictatorship.
Opposition parties boycotted the election, saying it was a move by an unpopular president desperate to cling to power. The US last night imposed new sanctions, freezing any US assets Maduro may have and barring Americans from doing business with him. The European Union refused to rule out taking action.
Venezuela’s National Electoral Council said more than 8million voters backed Maduro’s plans – but opponents suggested the real figure was nearer 2.5million. The president called the vote in May after a month of protests against his government, which has overseen Venezuela’s descent into a devastating economic crisis.
Last year its economy shrank by 19 per cent and imports crashed by more than 50 per cent.
Despite still having the world’s largest oil reserves, Venezuela’s currency is worthless and basic food is scarce, meaning families have been reduced to rooting through rubbish bins.
The winners among the 5,500 ruling-party candidates running for 545 seats in Mr Maduro’s new assembly will be handed the task of rewriting the country’s constitution and will be given powers above and beyond any other state institutions.
The Venezuelan leader has blamed the mounting unrest against him and his policies on existing US sanctions.
Mr Corbyn’s office did not respond to a request for comment last night.
Comment – Page 16
‘On the brink of disaster’