Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has defended the United States’ military operation that removed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power, saying the action was “morally right” despite questions over its legality.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Tuesday, Badenoch said she did not fully understand the legal basis for the operation but argued that Maduro presided over a harsh regime and that his removal was justified.
“Where the legal certainty is not yet clear, morally, I do think it was the right thing to do,” she said, adding that her upbringing in Nigeria under military rule shaped her views. “I grew up under a military dictatorship, so I know what it’s like to have someone like Maduro in charge.”
She, however, warned that the operation raised “serious questions about the rules-based order” and stressed that such actions were not the same as intervention in democratic states. Referring to Greenland, Badenoch said its future should remain a matter for Denmark and its people.
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The UK government has so far avoided directly criticising the US action, describing Maduro as an “illegitimate president.” Opposition parties, including Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and the SNP, have urged the government to condemn the operation and declare it illegal.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting defended the government’s position, saying the prime minister was acting in the UK’s national interest and in the “best interests of the people of Venezuela.”
Some critics, including Labour MP Emily Thornberry, warned that the raid could set a dangerous precedent and embolden countries such as Russia and China. They also called on the UK to clearly state its position on international law.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said she had reminded her US counterpart of his obligations under international law but added that it was for the United States to explain the legal justification for the operation.