Keir Starmer ‘sheds no tears’ for Venezuela’s Meduro as Donald Trump plots occupation
Trump says Venezuela will be “run” by members of his cabinet – including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth
Keir Starmer says he will “shed no tears” for the downfall of the Maduro regime in Venezuela – and that he will “discuss the evolving situation” with Donald Trump in the coming days.
He said: “The UK has long supported a transition of power in Venezuela. We regarded Maduro as an illegitimate President and we shed no tears about the end of his regime.
“I reiterated my support for international law this morning. The UK government will discuss the evolving situation with US counterparts in the days ahead as we seek a safe and peaceful transition to a legitimate government that reflects the will of the Venezuelan people.”
At a press conference tonight, Trump said Venezuela would be “run” by members of his cabinet – including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth
He said the US would run the country at least temporarily, and would tap Venezuela’s vast oil reserves to sell “large amounts” to other countries.
Outlining his plan for the effective US occupation of the country, he indicated Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was willing to cooperate with a “group” of US figures in running the country.
“She is essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again. Very simple,” Trump said.
The legal authority for what amounts to an invasion and takeover of a sovereign nation was not immediately clear.
The White House did not seek the approval of congress before the strikes, something Secretary of State Marco Rubio sad was to protect the integrity of the operation.
And soon after news of the attack broke, members of Trump’s administration immediately sought to build a justification for it.
“Maduro is NOT the President of Venezuela and his regime is NOT the legitimate government,” Rubio posted on X in the early hours of Saturday Morning.
“Maduro is the head of the Cartel de Los Soles, a narco-terror organisation which has taken possession of a country. And he is under indictment for pushing drugs into the United States.”
Later, Rubio spoke to Republican members of Congress to argue the action was legal.
Utah Senator Mike Lee said Rubio had told him the bombings had been necessary to protect US personnel seeking to execute an “arrest warrant” on Maduro.
“This action likely falls within the president’s inherent authority under Article II of the Constitution to protect US personnel from an actual or imminent attack,” he wrote on X.
Then Trump himself did a victory lap, calling into Fox News, saying the operation had been an “amazing job” – and that he “watched it literally like I was watching a television show.”
“We did a great job,” he added. “We’re stopping drugs coming into this country.”
While Venezuela is a transit country for drugs bound for the US, it accounts for a relatively small proportion of illegal narcotics entering America.
Before taking questions at his Mar A Lago resort in Florida this afternoon, Trump posted a photo on Truth Social, which he said was Maduro aboard the USS Iwo Jima following his arrest. He wore a grey tracksuit, was blindfolded and wearing ear defenders.
He also posted footage of the strike accompanied by Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival, a protest song about the Vietnam War draft.
Trump said the U.S. planned to run Venezuela until a transition of power can take place. He claimed the American presence was already in place, though there were no immediate signs the U.S. was running the country. Venezuelan state TV continued to air pro-Maduro propaganda, broadcasting live images of supporters taking to the streets in Caracas in protest.
“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said at the press conference.
He added that this “extremely successful operation should serve as warning to anyone who would threaten American sovereignty or endanger American lives.”
Earlier Keir Starmer said UK forces were not involved in the assault, and approached the subject cautiously, saying he wanted to speak to Trump to “establish the facts.”
It’s understood the UK was not informed ahead of the bombings, and asked this morning if he’d spoken to the US President, he said: “No, I haven’t, and it’s obviously a fast-moving situation, and we need to establish all the facts.
“What I can say is that the UK was not involved in any way in this operation, and as you’d expect, we’re focusing on British nationals in Venezuela (and) working very closely with our embassy.
“I want to talk to the president. I will want to talk to allies, but at the moment, I think we need to establish the facts.”
Meanwhile, Nigel Farage sought to excuse Trump’s apparent breach of international law – giving a bizarre assessment of how other hostile countries are likely to respond to the move.
“The American actions in Venezuela overnight are unorthodox and contrary to international law,” he wrote on X.
“But if they make China and Russia think twice, it may be a good thing. I hope the Venezuelan people can now turn a new leaf without Maduro.”
Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats urged Mr Starmer to condemn Trump’s action, writing on X: “Maduro is a brutal and illegitimate dictator, but unlawful attacks like this make us all less safe. Trump is giving a green light to the likes of Putin and Xi to attack other countries with impunity.”
The United Nations said it was “deeply alarmed” by the U.S. strikes and reported detention of President Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela. It expressed concern that the escalation was a violation of international law.
“These developments constitute a dangerous precedent,” Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general, said in a statement. Dujarric said the UN worried about the larger implications for Latin America and the Caribbean and called on “all actors in Venezuela” to respect human rights and the rule of law.
