No 10 suggests UK would not vote for UN security council resolution condemning US arrest of Maduro – as it happened

<p>PM’s spokesperson did not contest report claiming that the UK will abstain on a possible UN vote</p><p>Speaking to reporters this morning, <strong>Keir Starmer</strong> said Nicolás Maduro, who was president of Venezuela until he was arrested by the Americans on Saturday and taken to a US jail, was not a legitimate ruler. He said:</p><p>What’s happened here in Venezuela is obviously really important. We have long championed a peaceful transition to democracy, because the president was illegitimate.</p><p>International law is really important. It’s the framework, and it’s for the US to set out its justifications for the actions that it’s taken. But it is a complicated situation. It remains a complicated situation. The most important thing is stability and that peaceful transition to democracy …</p><p>I think the vast majority of Labour MPs would say that they want to see democracy in Venezuela. That is hugely important.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/jan/05/uk-venezuela-response-starmer-trump-labour-conservatives-latest-news-updates">Continue reading...</a>