UK Citizens in Venezuela

Baroness Chapman of Darlington Excerpts

Thursday 4th December 2025 Lords Chamber

[The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Baroness Chapman of Darlington) (Lab)]

My Lords, the FCDO continues to advise against all but essential travel to Venezuela. The safety of British nationals abroad is the FCDO’s overriding concern when determining travel advice, which remains under regular review to ensure that it reflects our latest assessment of risks to British nationals. The FCDO has been clear that consular support available to British nationals in Venezuela is limited, but we continue to support a peaceful, negotiated transition in Venezuela.

[Baroness Hooper (Con)]

In thanking the Minister for her reply, may I press a little on the wider region and ask whether this advice and possible support will be given to British nationals in the overseas territories in the Caribbean, for example? Further, does the FCDO have any plans to close our embassy in Venezuela, as I understand other European countries have already done?

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

Our obligations to those in overseas territories are very different, and they are clearly prioritised in circumstances when disasters kick in. We have very limited diplomatic relations with Venezuela; at the moment, we have a chargé in Caracas. At this stage, we do not plan to withdraw that, but we are keeping a very close eye. I have spoken to the team there on many occasions, and what they are doing is still of value and their safety is assured. As long as this is the case, I do not see us withdrawing it immediately. Clearly, given the changing situation, we are keeping it under review.

[Lord Woodley (Lab)]

My Lords, it is very clear that our Government are nervous about directly criticising Trump. It is undeniable that the extrajudicial killings he has ordered in blowing up small boats off the coast of Venezuela are a grave violation of international law. Does the Minister agree that the notorious double strike that we heard so much about in September, which saw two people murdered while clinging to a boat, should be and must be thoroughly condemned?

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

I am not here to second-guess legal advice or the situation in regard to any specific incident in the Caribbean. What the US does with regard to Venezuela and its position on its activities in the Caribbean are clearly a matter for the US.

[Lord Alton of Liverpool (CB)]

My Lords, can the Minister confirm that the 51 Venezuelans who are on our sanctions list for their role in undermining democracy and human rights remain sanctioned? Will she say whether we are considering imposing sanctions on those who have been involved in the cartels in the illegal smuggling of drugs—many of them lethal—not just into the United States but into Europe and this country too?

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

The noble Lord knows that I am not going to talk about sanctions or whether we are about to lift or impose them, but it is absolutely true that Europe is one of the biggest markets for narcotics coming out of Latin America and central America specifically. The demand for narcotics in this country is causing misery, despair and the death of children, among others, in that part of the world.

[Lord Bruce of Bennachie (LD)]

My Lords, even though the Maduro Government there may be authoritarian and corrupt, the extrajudicial killings are not justified. Are we confident that British intelligence has not been used to facilitate those? How is military action against Venezuela consistent with forcing a peace settlement in Ukraine? If there is military action, what steps can be taken to protect all citizens there, including the 7,000 from the UK?

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

I can tell the noble Lord that the UK is not involved in any way in the activities of the US in this part of the Caribbean. I am struggling to see the parallel between the situations in Venezuela and Ukraine. There are very difficult problems to address in both places. Our position on Ukraine is clear. We do not recognise the legitimacy of Maduro’s Government because of the way in which the election was conducted and the failure of the regime to publish reliable results.

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

My Lords, as the Minister has said, the situation in Venezuela is very concerning. Given our special relationship with our US allies, what conversations are ongoing with the US Government to ensure that our Government have the up-to-date information needed to safeguard British citizens in the country? I noticed that travel advice for Venezuela was last updated on 23 November. Will this be further updated?

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

It will be updated if it needs to be changed; just because it has not changed does not mean it is not reviewed. Unfortunately, Venezuela is now in an “all but essential” category, and certain border areas are in a red category. That being said, our citizens do not always adhere to the advice of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. We estimate that there are around 500 British nationals in Venezuela. They are mostly going to be dual nationals or people who have lived there for a very long time and who understand the limited nature of the consular assistance that we are able to provide.

[Lord Anderson of Swansea (Lab)]

My Lords, given the limited numbers in our embassy, are we confident that we have means of communicating with those British nationals? What contingency arrangements have been or are proposed to be made with neighbouring countries such as Trinidad and Tobago?

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

My noble friend is right that there is a limited team currently in Caracas, but it is incredibly well led and very effective. It is also served by the country-based staff, who do a tremendous job. Communications are a challenge, and knowing exactly where British nationals are—they are under no obligation to let us know—can be difficult. Most of the British nationals that we are aware of are people who are well used to living in Venezuela and are well supported. They rely on their own local networks, but our team is there to provide support, limited though it may be, should that be needed.

[Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Con)]

My Lords, bearing in mind that Venezuela has an unwarranted territorial claim on neighbouring Guyana, can the Minister update us on the advice the Government would have for that particular Commonwealth country?

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

We have been very clear in our support for Guyana on this issue, and these sorts of disputes must be resolved through the legal and diplomatic means which are available. Occasionally, the Essequibo issue is raised in Venezuelan politics, and noble Lords can form their own judgments about why this might happen at any particular time. From the UK’s point of view, we are absolutely clear about where the border needs to be, and that has not changed.

[Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (GP)]

My Lords, according to the US Energy Information Administration, Venezuela has about one-fifth of the world’s global oil reserves—an estimated 303 billion barrels—and the single largest-known mass of crude oil. Are the Government keeping this in mind in their approach to the issues in Venezuela, given the world’s need to keep the vast bulk of this oil in the ground in this climate emergency?

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

One of the many tragedies of this situation is that Venezuela ought to be a prosperous, stable country that is able to provide a good life for its citizens; that is not the case. Our concerns are around civil liberties, democracy, the rule of law, the safety and protection of civilians and their rights and the fact that their wishes have not been reflected in their democratic choices. The noble Baroness is right that Venezuela ought to be doing far better than it has been able to do. Whether or not the oil comes out of the ground, it is a wonderful, spectacular country, and it is just tragic to see what has happened to it in recent years.

[Lord Spellar (Lab)]

My Lords, is not the fundamental, underlying problem that the prosperity of Venezuela has been destroyed by the corrupt dictatorship, which is being propped up by other dictatorships in Russia, China and Cuba? What help are our Foreign Office and other Governments giving to the legitimate opposition in Venezuela, which should be the Government were it not for the corrupt elections?

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

I have huge admiration for María Corina Machado. I have spoken to her. She did not run for president, but she is clearly a voice for those in Venezuela who feel that their democratic wishes have not been reflected in the make-up of their Government. We continue to have conversations with groups in Venezuela and, in a limited way, with the regime in Venezuela. We want to see a negotiated transition and the wishes of all the people of Venezuela who participated in that election to be reflected in a democratic outcome.