Labor wants US to ‘set out the facts’ before passing judgment on Trump’s capture of Maduro | Australian foreign policy

The Australian government has said it expects the US to “establish the facts” about the operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Labor Secretary Tim Ayres on Monday emphasized the importance of international law after the US military intervention.

But when asked whether the extraordinary operation ordered by President Donald Trump to extract Maduro and his wife and take them to the United States to face narco-terrorism charges violated the United Nations charter, Ayres said the Albanian government was focused on “establishing the facts here and gathering evidence about what is happening.”

Industry minister Ayres said in a statement to Radio National: “It is the duty of the United States to present the debate here and present the facts.” “Of course, this is very early in a series of events and we as a government are working carefully to establish the facts.”

National Party leader David Littleproud said any intervention in Venezuela must be “more than oil or drugs” and warned against a protracted military operation like the Iraq war.

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Most Australian politicians have so far been reluctant to judge the legality or otherwise of Trump’s attack on Caracas.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Sunday said Australia has long had concerns about the human rights and democratic situation in Venezuela, and Littleproud on Monday branded Maduro an “illegitimate, brutal dictator”.

“We have of course made clear that it is absolutely important to comply with international law and, as you would expect at a consular level, we are taking steps to ensure that the safety of Australians currently in Venezuela is looked after,” Ayres said.

“We are still very early in this series of events and a number of announcements have been made and we will continue to monitor this closely and carefully in Australia’s national interest.”

Ayres added on ABC TV: “It is certain that Australia supports the application of international law and compliance with international law. It is the duty of the United States to put forward these arguments.”

Littleproud welcomed the ouster of Maduro, whose brutal rule over Venezuela included allegations of stealing elections and challenging democratic results and violently suppressing protests or dissent. But the National Party leader said it was “important to respect Venezuela’s sovereignty.”

“I think that’s where the world is looking, waiting with bated breath to see what the Trump administration’s next move is going to be,” he told Sunrise. “I don’t think the Trump administration wants to repeat Iraq.

“This has to be about more than oil or drugs. This has to be about returning the country of Venezuela to its people. And I think that’s the way the Trump administration should be able to articulate it.”

“I think Maduro’s departure has been universally applauded. But I think it’s important that we see the country return to the Venezuelan people as soon as possible, in the most orderly way possible.”

Littleproud’s colleague, shadow trade minister Kevin Hogan, also expressed concern about how Venezuela will be governed from now on.

“There are questions that need to be answered now,” he told Radio National. “What will happen now in Venezuela’s near future?”

Greens senator David Shoebridge expressed concern on Sunday about the Trump administration’s intervention, claiming the forced removal of Maduro was a gross violation of international law.

“Lawlessness without consequences aids dictators, tyrants and aggressors,” he said. “It puts the world on very dangerous ground.

“This war of the United States, like so many wars before it, is not about self-defense; it is a war about resources, oil and dominance.”