Twenty-one MPs have signed a motion demanding FIFA expels the USA from the summer’s World Cup – saying Trump’s Venezuela strike broke international law and must have consequences
The USA should be kicked out of the World Cup for Donald Trump’s violations of international law, more than 20 MPs have demanded.
The cross-party group called on FIFA to consider expelling the United States over its actions in Venezuela and the President’s “veiled and overt threats” against Denmark, Cuba and Colombia. Trump has been accused of breaking the law by ordering commandos to seize Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in an operation on Saturday.
Anger is growing after the White House said it is weighing up seizing Greenland, a Danish territory. On top of that Trump also warned Colombian President Gustavo Petro to “watch his ass”, hinting he could suffer the same fate as Meduro. He also claimed Cuba is “ready to fall” and said the US is “going to have to do something” with Mexico.
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Now 21 MPs have called for the USA to be banned from major world sporting events. A motion calls on the Commons to express alarm over the “kidnapping” of Maduro and threats made against other sovereign states including Denmark, Colombia and Cuba.
Labour MP Brian Leishman, who put it forward, told The Mirror: “This is rank hypocrisy by the international community and by sporting bodies. FIFA says its not political, but them it gives awards to Donald Trump.”
In December the world footballing body presented the President with its first FIFA Peace Award. Mr Leishman continued: “Let’s have consistency. It’s an invasion of a sovereign nation and the kidnap 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 Trump’s conduct “undermines the rules based international order” and states sporting events “should not be used to legitimise or normalise violations of international law by powerful states”.
The group – including 15 Labour backbenchers, Your Party’s Jeremy Corbyn, a Lib Dem MP and four from Plaid Cymru – also said the Government must oppose “double standards in the enforcement of international norms”.
Host nation the USA are currently 50/1 outsiders to lift the World Cup in July. The international side has qualified for 11 tournaments since 1930, and has been drawn in a group with Paraguay and Australia this time around.
The Government has said it is the White House’s responsibility to set out the legal case for the operation in Venezuela. Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured and flown to the US, where they face trial on conspiracy charges.
The US has described the ousted leader as a “narco-terrorist”, but he claimed to be a “kidnapped president” and a “prisoner of war”. Britain has said it stands with Denmark after Trump’s threat to annex the island on national security grounds.
Keir Starmer said it is for the people of Greenland and Denmark to decide the island’s fate. He discussed it with a call with the unpredictable US President.