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Mr Corbyn said Maduro was still the president of Venezuela and “outside interference” was not appropriate. Britain joined the US and EU to disregard Maduro as the "legitimate leader" of Venezuela. The UK believes National Assembly head Juan Guaido is "the right person to take the country forward”, the Foreign Secretary said. During a visit to Washington for talks with US Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Mr Hunt said: "We are extremely concerned about the situation in Venezuela, but it is clear that Nicholas Maduro is not the legitimate leader of Venezuela.

"The election on May 20 was deeply flawed; ballot boxes were stuffed, there were counting irregularities and the opposition was banned.

"This regime has done untold damage to the people of Venezuela, 10% of the population have left Venezuela such is the misery they are suffering.

"So the United Kingdom believes Juan Guaido is the right person to take Venezuela forward. We are supporting the US, Canada, Brazil and Argentina to make that happen.

"I will be meeting Vice President Pence and Secretary of State Pompeo later this afternoon to discuss this further. But for anyone in the UK who thinks that Venezuela is an example, who thinks that we should be adopting the policies supported by the discredited Maduro regime, they need to look at their TV screens and think again.