UK arms exports to Venezuela come under scrutiny

The UK government has approved export licences for millions of pounds worth of military equipment to Venezuela, despite a sustained period of violent anti-government protests in the country and a UK Foreign Office country listing ‘of concern’.

The Guardian newspaper has revealed that £2.5m of military goods, including components for military radar, weapons sights, and military aircraft engines, have been sold to the country by the UK since 2008. In the period to March 2016, licences for goods worth over £80,000 were approved, including equipment for crowd control for use by law enforcement agencies.

On 30 July 2017, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro went ahead with the election of the National Constituent Assembly comprised of pro-government supporters, despite widespread criticism from over 40 countries, including the UK. Before the election, UK Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson said:

‘The UK calls on the Venezuelan Government to refrain from divisive and inflammatory action, including the plan to form a Constituent Assembly later this month.’

The UK government has also expressed regret over the imprisonment of opposition leaders and expressed concern for democracy in Venezuela, citing the threat to human rights, the rule of law, separation of powers and the integrity of democratic institutions.

Andrew Smith, from Campaign Against the Arms Trade (‘CAAT’), told The Guardian: ‘These licences should never have been agreed in the first place, particularly not considering Venezuela is on the UK government’s own countries of concern list for human rights and democracy.’

Under current EU and UK legislation, export licences cannot be granted if there is a ‘clear risk’ that the equipment could be used in breach of international humanitarian law.