The UK could impose sanctions on Venezuela, a minister hinted today, as a voting technology company that supplies the petrostate said the results of a controversial ballot held on Sunday had been tampered with.
Sir Alan Duncan, the Foreign Office minister for the Americas, said the Latin American nation was in “meltdown” and praised US financial sanctions introduced against President Maduro as “absolutely right”. He said Britain could be part of a potential global effort to impose a sanctions regime on the country.
His intervention came after violence in the state prompted the families of British embassy staff to leave and pressure grew on Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader and a past supporter of the left-wing regime in Caracas, to condemn the left-wing government.
More than 105 people have been killed during months of protests in Venezuela, where the crisis-hit economy is on the verge of collapse. Food and medicine shortages are widespread and opposition leaders have been seized from their homes and arrested, according to reports.
Sir Alan said it was astonishing that there had not been a “squeak” from Mr Corbyn, who has appeared increasingly isolated as other senior socialist leaders in Europe have denounced the Venezuelan government following a vote on Sunday branded a sham by critics.
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Today the chief executive of Smartmatic, a company that provided the technology for Venezuela’s voting system, said the result of the ballot to give President Maduro’s regime unlimited powers had been tampered with.
Antonio Mugica said turnout at polling stations was overstated by “at least one million votes”. The ballot for a new assembly that could rewrite the country’s constitution was boycotted by opposition party figures and millions of Venezuelans.
Turnout is seen as crucial in determining the legitimacy of the vote. Venezuela’s National Electoral Council has said more than eight million people voted to grant Mr Maduro’s government the powers with the assembly.
But Mr Mugica said he could not endorse the announced election result as opposition parties were not present to provide oversight to ensure Mr Maduro’s government announced the correct results, due to the boycott.
He told a press conference in central London: “It is . . . with deepest regret that we have to report that the turnout figures on Sunday, July 30, for the constituent assembly in Venezuela were tampered with.”
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He went on: “Based on the robustness of our system, we know, without any doubt, that the turnout of the recent election for a national constituent assembly was manipulated . . . An audit would allow everyone to know the exact participation. We estimate the difference between the actual participation and the one announced by authorities is at least one million votes.
“It is important to point out that this would not have occurred if the auditors of all political parties had been present at the different stages of the election.”
Asked about sanctions today, Sir Alan told Sky News: “The United States has already imposed sanctions on president Nicolas Maduro, it’s absolutely right that they’ve done this.
“What we’ve got is a country being pretty well brought to its knees by its own government. We’ve got inflation at something like 700 per cent. We have leaders of the opposition being arrested.
“We have demonstrators being killed and indeed your own reporter Stuart Ramsay was shot at by the police in the coverage Sky is giving to this country in meltdown.
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“So there may come a point where we will become part of a world sanctions regime, for instance if the United Nations were to impose one then we would.
“But in the meantime what is astonishing is that when the world is condemning Venezuela and its government, we don’t hear a squeak from the leader of the opposition in the UK, who for 20 years or more has said he’s a great friend of Venezuela, that the socialist regime there is the perfect example of what a government should be.”
A spokeswoman for Mr Corbyn said the party’s position was made clear in a statement yesterday from Liz McInnes, the shadow foreign minister.
Ms McInnes urged “the government of Venezuela to recognise its responsibilities to protect human rights, free speech and the rule of law” and said Mr Maduro must “respond personally to the legitimate concerns of the international community about the increasingly authoritarian nature of his rule and the growing hardship facing his people”.
The spokeswoman for Mr Corbyn said: “The Labour Party’s statement on Monday made clear our position on the importance of the respect for the rule of law and human rights. We’re watching the situation and developments in Venezuela closely.”