LONDON

Several British lawmakers on Saturday decried US strikes on Venezuela, calling on the UK government to condemn what they called an "illegal attack on a sovereign nation."

The US captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and flew him out of the country in an operation following months of pressure.

"Venezuela has the world’s largest oil reserves -- and that’s no coincidence,” Your Party lawmaker Zarah Sultana wrote on US social media company X, following US strikes on the capital, Caracas.

"This is naked U.S. imperialism: an illegal assault on Caracas aimed at overthrowing a sovereign government and plundering its resources," said Sultana, who is a former Labour Party lawmaker.

"(Prime Minister Keir) Starmer’s Labour government must condemn this unequivocally. Solidarity with the Venezuelan people."

Green Party leader Zack Polanski said Starmer and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper should be condemning this "illegal strike and breach of international human rights law."

Accusing US President Donald Trump of "arming a genocide and worshipping the special relationship," he said the US president now believes "he can act with impunity."

Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey also called on the prime minister to condemn "Trump’s illegal action in Venezuela."

Saying that unlawful attacks like this "make us all less safe," Davey claimed Trump is giving a "green light" to the likes of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping "to attack other countries with impunity."

Independent lawmaker Ayoub Khan said the US strike is a “clear and egregious violation” of international law.

"The global community cannot stand by while the very foundations of the international legal order are so openly disregarded,” he noted

Another independent lawmaker, Shockat Adam, also described the US strikes on Venezuela as a “brazen breach of international law, following a well-worn imperial playbook."

"It’s no secret: Trump has repeatedly made clear that he’s eyeing up Venezuela’s resources," he said, calling on the government to condemn the attack and promote national sovereignty and influence peace.

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage defined the US strikes as "unorthodox and contrary to international law," but said if they make China and Russia think twice, "it may be a good thing."

"I hope the Venezuelan people can now turn a new leaf without Maduro," he wrote on X.

'Illegal attack on a sovereign nation'

Independent lawmaker Jeremy Corbyn called the US strikes an "unprovoked and illegal attack" on Venezuela, saying this was a "brazen attempt" to secure control over Venezuelan natural resources.

"It is an act of war that puts the lives of millions of people at risk -- and should be condemned by anyone who believes in sovereignty and international law," Corbyn said on X.

Labour Party lawmaker Richard Burgeon said he "totally" condemns what he called an "illegal attack on a sovereign nation."

"As with the war on Iraq, Trump's regime change is about control of Venezuela’s oil -- the largest reserves in the world," he said.

Another Labour Party lawmaker, John McDonnell, said the US strikes came "with no legal sanction, with no UN decision, what difference in international law is there between Trump’s attack on Venezuela & Putin’s invasion of Ukraine."

"If the UK government stands for the rule of law, Keir Starmer must condemn this," he wrote on X.

Labour Party lawmaker Nadia Whittome also called US strikes an “illegal attack on a sovereign nation,” saying it is a “blatant grab” for Venezuelan oil, risking the lives of innocent civilians.

“All of us who care about international law must condemn this,” she said on X.

Earlier, Venezuela’s government accused the US of attacking civilian and military installations in multiple states, and declared ‌a national ‌emergency.

Trump confirmed the "large scale" strike on his social media platform Truth Social, claiming Maduro and his wife were "captured and flown out of the country." He later told Fox News that the US will be "very much" involved in the next steps on Venezuela.

The attacks came after months of climbing US pressure on Maduro, who Washington accuses of being involved in drug trafficking. The Venezuelan leader had denied the claims and expressed readiness for talks.

Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said they were "unaware" of Maduro's whereabouts, demanding the Trump administration provide "proof of life of President Maduro."