Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the Wagner Group's reported activities in Venezuela, including reports of involvement in gold mining.

We are deeply concerned by Wagner Group deployments to the Central African Republic, Libya, Mali, Mozambique, Sudan, Syria and Ukraine. We continue to monitor reports of Russian mercenaries in Venezuela, including reports that mercenaries who are either part of or affiliated to the Wagner Group have conducted activities in support of the Maduro regime.

Illegal gold mining in Venezuela involves very serious human rights abuses at scale and is causing significant environmental and wider social damage, especially in the Arco Minero region. Russian private military companies are reported to be active in this area.