Corbyn refuses to condemn Maduro as he breaks Venezuela silence

The Labour leader condemns recent violence, but is criticised by a number of his own MPs for failing to criticise Nicolas Maduro.

Jeremy Corbyn has condemned the "violence" inflicted by all sides in Venezuela, but failed to criticise President Nicolas Maduro.

The Labour leader said "dialogue and a process" was needed to improve the situation in the South American nation, which has descended into chaos after a disputed vote which gave Mr Maduro's ruling socialist party almost unlimited powers.

More than 100 people have been killed in four months of anti-government protests, with hundreds more in prison.

Mr Corbyn said it was important to recognise the "effective and serious attempts" to reduce poverty, improve literacy and improve the lives of Venezuela's poor.

He has been under pressure to personally condemn Mr Maduro, given his previous support for Venezuela's left-wing governments.

A number of Mr Corbyn's MPs lined up to criticise him in the wake of his remarks, with one suggesting the comments do not befit a politician who wants to prime minister.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has accused Mr Maduro of behaving like the "dictator of an evil regime", and Downing Street said on Monday that "urgent action" was needed to stop the situation getting worse.

Speaking at a meeting of Labour Party members in Crawley, West Sussex, Mr Corbyn said: "I'm very sad at the lives that have been lost in Venezuela.

"The people who have died, either those on the streets or security forces that have been attacked by people on the street - all of those lives are terrible for the loss of them.

"There has to be a dialogue and a process that respects the independence of the judiciary and respects the human rights of all."

When asked whether he condemned Mr Maduro's actions, the Labour leader said: "What I condemn is the violence that's been done by any side, by all sides, in all this. Violence is not going to solve the issue.

"The issues in Venezuela are partly structural because not enough has been done to diversify the economy away from oil - that has to be a priority for the future.

"But we also have to recognise that there have been effective and serious attempts at reducing poverty in Venezuela, improving literacy and improving the lives of many of the poorest people."

As a backbencher, Mr Corbyn hailed former Venezuela leader Hugo Chavez as an "inspiration to all of us fighting back against austerity and neo-liberal economics in Europe".

He also backed a number of parliamentary motions linked to the country, including one which congratulated Mr Maduro on his election as president and called for closer ties with Venezuela.

Pressed on whether he regretted supporting Mr Maduro when he was elected, Mr Corbyn said: "I gave the support of many people around the world for the principle of a government that was dedicated towards reducing inequality and improving the life chances of the poorest people."

Reacting to Mr Corbyn's comments, veteran Labour MP Frank Field told the Press Association: "Voters in this country expect future prime ministers to be robust in defending the independence of the judiciary, respect for human rights and a parliamentary process. They've had their dialogue on this a long time ago."

Fellow Labour MP John Spellar, a member of a new all-party parliamentary group on Venezuela, said Mr Corbyn was too ambiguous and called on him to "unequivocally" recognise the failure of Mr Maduro's regime.

International Development Secretary Priti Patel said: "Despite the destitution and the depravity of Maduro's government, Corbyn fails to criticise Maduro.

"What will it take for Corbyn to finally urge Maduro to stop the violence, the human rights abuses, the poverty and the killings?"
http://news.sky.com/story/corbyn-calls-for-venezuela-dialogue-as-he-breaks-silence-on-crisis-10978287

Corbyn? Isn't he the one who refuses to condemn the IRA? LL

Mr Corbyn said it was important to recognise the "effective and serious attempts" to reduce poverty, improve literacy and improve the lives of Venezuela's poor.

So, looted shops, no toilet roll or bread, and zoo animals being eaten by the starving poor is 'improving the loves of the poor'.

I see.