Contribution
I thank the noble Lords for their support for the Foreign Secretary’s remarks on the tragic loss of life that we saw on New Year’s Eve in Switzerland. I am grateful to them for echoing what she said.
The noble Lord, Lord Callanan, asked about discussions with our US counterparts ahead of the action that was taken in Caracas, as did the noble Lord, Lord Purvis. We are clear that the UK was not informed. We were not involved in any way. None of our assets were involved in any way at all. It is important that we are very straightforward and clear about that. We would not expect to be informed of an action such as this either.
To respond to the noble Lord’s questions about the communications between the Prime Minister and the US and counterparts in Europe, the Prime Minister talks constantly with his counterparts in Europe and in the US, as do the Foreign Secretary and Ministers throughout the Government. We will continue to do that in connection to this. Vitally, today, Ukraine is at the front of our minds, along with making sure we continue to do what we believe to be right in Ukraine.
One of the things in my mind when listening to the noble Lord opposite was this. Many people said when this Government came to office that we would be unable to work with President Trump and that our relationship with the US would be impossible to manage. I think most people give the Prime Minister credit for being able to manage his relationship with President Trump very well. They have a very good relationship, and I think that has surprised many people, though it did not surprise me; it is something that puts British interests first. Many people will wish to hear the Government say various things or make statements, but, sometimes, the right thing to do is not to use megaphone diplomacy. The right thing to do is to respect our close partners and allies, and give whatever messages we want to give in the right way.
As for parallels with Chagos, that is frankly ridiculous. There is no parallel with Chagos. Chagos happened because there was a state-to-state negotiation between the British Government and the Government of Mauritius. Should Denmark ever wish to enter into such a negotiation, it is free to do so with the consent of the people of Greenland. This is completely different, and the noble Lord should know better. I am sad that he does not.
As the noble Lord, Lord Purvis, correctly reminds us, 9 million Venezuelans have left their country. I have met many of them in Mexico, Ecuador, Chile, the UK and Colombia. They are devastated by what has happened to their country over recent years. There will be a range of views on the actions the United States has taken. It is very early days, but some who I have spoken to see hope for their country. They want to see a return to democracy. They want to see an outcome of the elections that were held in 2024 that reflects the will of the Venezuelan people. That is not what we saw at the time.
The noble Lord is right to suggest, and I agree, that we put the people of Venezuela front and centre and find a way for them to get a Government who reflect their wishes and enable them to live in safety and with the prosperity that country should have. There needs, therefore, to be a transition to democracy. As for how that takes place, who leads it and the exact timetable for all that, it is impossible to say from where we are today, but we certainly share his view that there needs to be a transition to democracy.
How can the UK help? We will help in any way that is right at the time. As noble Lords will know, we are the only Five Eyes country to have maintained a presence in Caracas throughout recent years. Our chargé d’affaires there is extremely capable. He has good relationships across the political spectrum in Venezuela and he would be very well placed to advise on how it would be appropriate for the United Kingdom to support strengthening democratic institutions, as we do in many countries across the world, although I accept that this is a unique situation.
María Corina Machado is one of the most inspirational, courageous women I have ever had the privilege to speak to. The way that she conducted herself, led her campaign and continued to make the arguments that she does, often from hiding in Venezuela and from overseas, is extraordinary. Others will comment about her fitness to lead Venezuela, but she is an incredibly impressive person. I do not think it would do her any favours to have an endorsement from the President of the United States, but as for what happens there and whether María Corina becomes the leader, let us remember that she was not the candidate in the 2024 election. She was not the leader of the opposition at that point. The role she chooses to play in the future of her country and whether she takes part in any future democratic process and in what capacity is a matter for her.
On Greenland, we could not have been clearer on the position that we have taken, alongside others, about the fact that it is clearly for the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland to decide their future.