UK Citizens in Venezuela

Lord Spellar Excerpts

Thursday 4th December 2025 Lords Chamber

[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.