Press release

Foreign Secretary statement on situation in Venezuela, January 2019

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt gave a statement to media on the situation in Venezuela during a visit to Washington.

• From: Foreign & Commonwealth Office and The Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP
• Published: 24 January 2019
• Last updated: 24 January 2019 — See all updates

This was published under the 2016 to 2019 May Conservative government

Speaking ahead of his meeting with US Vice President Mike Pence and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said:

We are extremely concerned about the situation in Venezuela, but it is clear that Nicolás Maduro is not the legitimate leader of Venezuela.

The election on 20th May was deeply flawed; ballot boxes were stuffed, there were counting irregularities and the opposition was banned. This regime has done untold damage to the people of Venezuela, 10% of the population have left Venezuela such is the misery they are suffering.

So the United Kingdom believes Juan Guaido is the right person to take Venezuela forward. We are supporting the US, Canada, Brazil and Argentina to make that happen. I will be meeting Vice President Pence and Secretary of State Pompeo later this afternoon to discuss this further. But for anyone in the UK who thinks that Venezuela is an example, who thinks that we should be adopting the policies supported by the discredited Maduro regime, they need to look at their TV screens and think again. This regime has caused untold suffering to its people.

Venezuela: Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt statement

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Published 24 January 2019
Last updated 24 January 2019 + show all updates

1. 24 January 2019

   Added translation

2. 24 January 2019

   First published.