In February, reports stated that Boris Johnson had traveled to Venezuela for unofficial discussions with the country’s authoritarian leader, Nicolás Maduro.
The ex-prime minister had a discussion with the Venezuelan president regarding the conflict in Ukraine. There were worries that the socialist country may provide weapons or military assistance to Russia, as reported by the Sunday Times.
He also talked about the requirements for establishing a normal relationship with the UK, which does not acknowledge Maduro’s government as legitimate. Maduro has held the position for 11 years.
Johnson’s team informed the Sunday Times that David Cameron, the foreign secretary, was knowledgeable about the trip and that Johnson also conversed with Colin Dick, the highest-ranking British diplomat in the nation.
A source from the Foreign Office stated that Johnson informed Lord Cameron of the summit while on the way, stating: “It was a personal visit, but Boris messaged the foreign secretary during the trip.”
Since it was an unofficial conversation, no permission was necessary or requested.
The discussions are unconventional, considering the current state of affairs between the two nations and the overall uncertainty regarding western interactions with Venezuela, who will be conducting presidential elections on July 28th.
The country in South America holds the record for the world’s largest oil reserves. It has shown support for President Putin and held NATO responsible for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
59-year-old Johnson reportedly took a private plane from a family vacation in the Dominican Republic to a place near Caracas in February. He stayed there for less than a day.
According to a statement from his representative, Boris Johnson had a meeting with Venezuelan government representatives. This meeting was arranged with the help of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and was approved by the foreign secretary. The goal of the meeting was to stress the importance of Venezuela adopting a legitimate democratic process.
“He consistently emphasized the need for Venezuela to fully adopt democratic principles and respect the sovereignty of its neighboring countries before any potential restoration of relations. He also presented arguments for the government of Venezuela to support the cause of Ukrainian victory.”
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The Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) was reached out to for a response.
Human rights organizations urged the Venezuelan government to cease its efforts to suppress civil society last month. This was prompted by the imprisonment of prominent attorney Rocío San Miguel and the expulsion of a UN human rights office from Caracas for speaking out against her arrest.
Valentina Ballesta, the researcher for South America at Amnesty International, stated that the removal of the United Nations high commissioner and their office serves as the government’s most recent effort to distance itself from global monitoring of its human rights violations. She stressed the importance of the international community continuing to shed light on this issue.
The UN human rights council has accused Maduro and other high-ranking Venezuelan authorities of engaging in crimes against humanity, such as torture, abduction, and unlawful killings.
Source: theguardian.com
