Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he is taking steps to impose sanctions on Major General Alexis Rodríguez Cabello.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is concerned by the recent steps taken by Venezuela, with respect to the Essequibo region of Guyana. We believe the unilateral actions of Venezuela are unjustified and should cease. The UK is clear that the border was settled in 1899 through international arbitration. The UK has sanctioned 41 Venezuelans under our Venezuela Autonomous, Global Human Rights and Global Anti-Corruption frameworks. We do not have sectoral sanctions on Venezuela and are not at present considering changes to our sanctions position. It is a longstanding policy that we do not comment on future sanctions designations as to do so may reduce their impact. We keep our sanctions under review and reserve the right to introduce further measures.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Minister for the Americas, Caribbean and Overseas Territories' visit to Guyana in December 2023; and what recent steps his Department has taken to support Guyana in maintaining its territorial integrity.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I [Minister Rutley] visited Guyana on 18 December. I met with President Ali, Foreign Secretary Todd, National Security Advisor Captain Gerry Gouveia, Defence Force Chief of Staff Brigadier Omar Khan and the The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary General Dr Carla Barnett to show UK support for Guyana's territorial integrity. President Ali strongly welcomed this visit and our ongoing support.
HMS Trent also visited on 29/30 December as a further signal of the UK's support for Guyana's sovereign borders. The UK welcomes the Argyle Declaration signed by Venezuela and Guyana in St Vincent and the Grenadines on 14 December, that makes clear Venezuela is to refrain from the use of force and any further escalation. We continue to work with our partners in the region and internationally to de-escalate tensions and ensure respect for Guyana's sovereignty.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he had discussions with Mr Boris Johnson (a) before and (b) after his recent meeting with President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Boris Johnson was visiting entirely in a personal capacity and not acting on behalf of the UK Government. His trip was not funded by the UK Government. The UK does not accept the legitimacy of the administration put in place by Nicolás Maduro following the 2018 presidential election.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether his Department plans to take steps with (a) NGOs and (b) charities to tackle deficiencies in water (i) quality and (ii) access in South American countries due to El Niño.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO is a significant contributor to global humanitarian pooled funds which are activated to respond to a humanitarian crisis such as those caused by El Nino. This includes the UN Crisis Emergency Response Fund (CERF), Red Cross Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) and the NGO Start Fund. Since June 2023, the Start Fund has provided £750,000 across the region to support responses to water, health and food security impacts of drought, particularly in Venezuela, Guatemala and Colombia, with these responses targeting around 25,000 people.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in (a) French Guiana and (b) Suriname on the situation in Guyana.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is concerned by the recent steps taken by Venezuela, with respect to the Essequibo region of Guyana. The UK supports Guyana's territorial integrity. We believe the unilateral actions of Venezuela are unjustified and should cease. We are clear that the border was settled in 1899 through international arbitration.
We will continue to work with allies and partners in the region to ensure that the territorial integrity of Guyana is respected. I [Minister Rutley] have not discussed the situation with counterparts in Suriname or in France's overseas department of French Guiana. Our officials in Paris have been in contact with French counterparts.
As part of this extensive diplomatic engagement, I visited Guyana on 18 December to show UK support for its territorial integrity.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will visit Guyana to show support for its territorial integrity.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is concerned by the recent steps taken by Venezuela, with respect to the Essequibo region of Guyana. The UK supports Guyana's territorial integrity. We believe the unilateral actions of Venezuela are unjustified and should cease. We are clear that the border was settled in 1899 through international arbitration.
We will continue to work with allies and partners in the region and through international bodies such as the UN Security Council, the Commonwealth and the Organisation of American States to ensure that the territorial integrity of Guyana is respected. I plan to visit Guyana in the coming days to further show our support for the Guyanese people on this vital issue.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the current political situation in Venezuela, following the Venezuelan government’s recent announcement that opposition leader María Corina Machado is banned from holding public office for 15 years, and (2) the prospects for free and fair presidential elections in Venezuela in 2024.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Venezuelan regime's recent decision to disqualify opposition leader, María Corina Machado, from holding public office for 15 years is an attack on basic democratic rights. It is vital for opposition leaders to be able to stand for election and for opposition parties to be able to organise primaries without improper interference by the state. We have registered our thoughts about the disqualification of Maria Corina Machado and Minister Rutley issued a tweet on 2 July publicly condemning the decision. We continue to encourage all parties concerned to do everything necessary to bring about a return to democracy in Venezuela and to hold free, fair presidential elections in 2024, in accordance with international democratic standards.
Dec. 18 2023
Source Page: Americas Minister visits Guyana to demonstrate UK support for its territorial integrityFound: We welcome the recent agreement by Venezuela in St Vincent to refrain from the use of force and any further