"Today's statement by Jeremy Corbyn on Venezuela is a disgrace. Labour have yet again failed to condemn [Venezuelan] President [Nicolas] Maduro as he slides his country closer to dictatorship. That Venezuela remains a source of fascination and that the far left see what is happening in Venezuela as some kind of role model for British politics is deeply troubling… The leadership of the Labour Party must make it abundantly clear that they have ended their infatuation with the Venezuelan regime," Cable said in a statement.
The Liberal Democrats' leader said that the very idea that Venezuela, as run by Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chavez, might serve as an inspiration for the UK government was "absolutely horrifying."
Venezuela has been suffering from acute economic and political crisis, with four months of protests resulting in more than 100 deaths. Maduro convened a Constitutional Assembly, a legislative body that has the powers to rewrite constitution, in order to bring peace back to the country. The opposition has protested against the Constituent Assembly, and the international community has mostly criticized it as well.
