Nicolas Maduro was a cruel tyrant who criminally abused the Venezuelan people and destabilised the region. The Maduro regime violated democratic principles, restricted Venezuelan citizens’ freedoms with inhumane treatment and abuse and carried out abhorrent human rights violations, relying on an axis of authoritarian states to do so. I have and always would strongly condemn Maduro’s brutal and repressive regime.
The Maduro regime had become increasingly reliant on economic, military, medical and other assistance from other authoritarian states including Russian made fighter jets, air defence systems, and surface-to-air missiles. In return, Russia was given licence to work with Venezuela’s mining, energy, transport and communications sectors. The Maduro regime also relied on Iranian gasoline in exchange for gold, permissions to build military drone factories, and a free hand to train Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officers and Hezbollah terrorists in Venezuela. Similarly, China advocates for the Maduro regime within multilateral organisations.
This axis further fomented instability, both in Venezuela and across the world. They fuel terrorism, destabilise legitimate democracies and fuel extreme violence and deep corruption internationally. None of these activities can be considered conducive to, or in line with, the international rules-based system but are seldom, if ever, called out by international institutions and the increasingly influential progressive Left to my horror. Venezuela’s political and economic instability also benefits the drug trade with an estimated 13 per cent of the world’s cocaine trafficked through Venezuela. Venezuelan gangs also have undue influence over the European cocaine market.
The previous Conservative Government and I have never considered Maduro’s administration to be legitimate and so I am not surprised there was jubilation in Venezuela’s streets at his removal. Venezuelans remember what their country was like before it was ravaged by years of this dangerous socialist dictatorship. They remember their country being a functioning democracy before transitioning into a hub for dangerous criminal gangs, terrorist groups and malign state actors that undermine the stability of the entire region. Indeed, Venezuela’s opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has said as much, recognising that, under Maduro, Venezuela had already been invaded by Iran, by Russia, by drug cartels, and by Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists. By any standard, under Maduro, Venezuela had clearly become a rogue gangster state.
What is critical now is the stability of the region and the wider world around us. It is important we listen to those who have been risking their lives for freedom and democracy in Venezuela like we should be supporting those standing up to tyranny in Iran. We should be under no illusions, however; a democratic transition in Venezuela will be far from straightforward as it works to restore its democratic institutions and escape the political, economic, and humanitarian crisis imposed on its people by Nicolas Maduro’s authoritarian regime. I do expect the UK Labour Government to support multilateral efforts to restore democracy and civil liberties to Venezuela, while disrupting drug flows, money laundering, and criminal networks that threaten communities here in the UK.
Here in the United Kingdom, we must recognise that we are in a fundamentally different world. While the likes of China have been strategic and aggressive in strengthening their influence across the world - including in South America - the West has been slow to react. We are genuinely living in an increasingly dangerous world, and the axis of authoritarian states seeking to undermine us respects just one thing: strength. Britain must be ready and willing to defend our own interests, to protect ourselves from those who would undermine us, to protect the unity of the western alliance, and to support democracy and freedom around the world. Instead, this Labour Government is fighting to give away the Chagos Islands - paying £35 billion of taxpayers’ money to do so - with no legal basis to justify their decision. Likewise, this dire Government is still stalling on increasing defence spending, when my Conservative colleagues and I know that the UK needs to increase its defence spending to three per cent of GDP by the end of this Parliament given the changing world we are experiencing.
In 2025, the Council of Europe’s Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy argued that the effectiveness of the rules-based international order is “being increasingly challenged by a shift towards multipolarity, with groups of countries coalescing around diverging approaches and visions as regards values, systems of governance and the international order itself”. The committee said this process was being accompanied by the rapid rise of authoritarianism, nationalism, isolationism, unilateralism and pure power politics. While we should be rightly protecting the rules-based order, we should equally be standing up to dangerous hostile actors and bullies who seek to undermine us all, and be very clear about where our national interests truly lie.
Challenges to a rules-based international order - House of Lords Library
The United States is, in reality, our most important ally whoever is in the White House and I do believe our ties to the US go far beyond the political. The friendship between our two peoples and countries is profound and deep-rooted, manifesting in millions of interactions each and every day – from nearly £300 million in trade and co-operation of defence and security, to shared cultural values and a commitment to prosperity and freedom. The US has made it clear that it is acting in its national interest against drug smuggling and other criminal activity, including potential terrorism. I do understand that and believe the UK’s foreign policy must also be this focused and clear eyed. The US is our closest security partner and we must work with it seriously on our shared interests. The US has acted in its national interests; the UK Government should be doing the same.
With regard to President Trump’s comments about Greenland, I am clear that Greenland is part of Denmark. Denmark is a valued NATO ally whose sovereignty and territorial integrity I respect. My colleagues and I are clear that Greenland’s future is a matter for its people and Denmark. In fact, my colleague Alicia Kearns MP has just returned from Greenland reaffirming our party’s commitment to Denmark and the future remaining as it currently is.
However, in a more unstable world, protecting Arctic security from countries like Russia is increasingly important. Britain must work closely with allies, including European partners like Denmark, to meet these security challenges. I expect the UK Government to leverage British influence to protect Arctic security from malign actors like Russia, and I will continue scrutinising their efforts to do so. Britain must be ready and willing to defend our own interests, to protect ourselves from those who would undermine us, at home and abroad, to protect the unity of the western alliance, and to support democracy and freedom around the world.
