FIFA urged to expel USA from World Cup over Donald Trump actions
A cross-party group of 21 MPs have urged FIFA to consider expelling the United States from the World Cup following allegations that President Trump has breached international law
US President Donald Trump has come under fire (Image: Getty Images)
Over 20 MPs have demanded the United States be kicked out of the World Cup after Donald Trump’s alleged violations of international law.
The cross-party group has called on FIFA to consider booting the USA over its actions in Venezuela and the President’s “veiled and overt threats” towards Colombia, Cuba and Denmark. Trump stands accused of breaching international law after deploying special forces to seize Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
Relations have soured further after the White House hinted it might try to seize control of Greenland, which belongs to Denmark. Trump also warned Colombian President Gustavo Petro to “watch his ass”, implying he could face the same fate as Maduro.
He went on to claim Cuba is “ready to fall” and declared the US is “going to have to do something” about Mexico. A bloc of 21 MPs is now calling for America to be barred from major international sporting events.
The parliamentary motion asks the Commons to express alarm over the “kidnapping” of Maduro and threatening remarks aimed at sovereign nations, including Colombia, Cuba and Denmark.
Labour MP Brian Leishman, who put forward the motion, told The Mirror: “This is rank hypocrisy by the international community and by sporting bodies. FIFA says it’s not political, but then it gives awards to Donald Trump.”
The global football governing body presented the President with its inaugural FIFA Peace Award in December.
Mr Leishman continued: “Let’s have consistency. It’s an invasion of a sovereign nation and the kidnapping of a president in Venezuela. I’m very critical of Maduro, I want to be very clear on that, but what we’ve seen is a breach of international law. When you see how Russia has been treated, which is absolutely correct, I just want there to be consistency.”
The motion contends that Trump’s actions “undermine the rules-based international order” and that sporting events “should not be used to legitimise or normalise violations of international law by powerful states”.
The cross-party group – made up of 15 Labour backbenchers, Your Party’s Jeremy Corbyn, a Lib Dem MP and four from Plaid Cymru – also demanded the Government must tackle “double standards in the enforcement of international norms”.
The Government has declared it is the White House’s responsibility to provide the legal justification for the operation in Venezuela.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized and transported to the US, where they face trial on conspiracy charges.
The US has labelled the ousted leader a “narco-terrorist”, but he claimed to be a “kidnapped president” and a “prisoner of war”.
Britain has said it stands with Denmark following Trump’s threat to annex Greenland on national security grounds. Keir Starmer has asserted that the future of Greenland should be determined by its people and those of Denmark. This topic was broached during a conversation with the US President.
