It seems extraordinary that your leader on the situation in Venezuela (Venezuela needs a fresh start, not a lurch towards new dangers, 25 January) should fail to provide the historical context within which the present crisis should be set – namely, the crash in world oil prices, the consequent failed attempts by the previous president, Hugo Chávez, to come to the aid of the poor in his own country and continent, and the imposition of sanctions by the US and other countries. Given the appalling and well-documented history of US interventions across South America over many, many years (and now fears of more to come), it was surely your duty to consider the present situation against a much wider and informed backdrop than the one adopted.

Gillian Dalley

London

• Gabriel Hetland (The risk of a catastrophic US intervention in Venezuela is real, theguardian.com, 24 January) is right to highlight how US sanctions have aggravated the economic crisis in Venezuela, perhaps by deliberate policy. US actions follow a predictable pattern. Just over a year ago, another Latin American country riven by economic and social problems descended into widespread street protests and violence following a disputed election, with dozens of people killed by security forces. That country was impoverished Honduras, where the pro-US Juan Orlando Hernández was re-elected president in an election many, including the Organization of American States, saw as fraudulent. The US response that time was to support Hernández against his rival Salvador Nasralla, who led a centre-left coalition. As ever, US concern is coloured by the political complexion of the candidates.

Scott Wilson

Strathkinness, Fife

• The far-right governments of Trump and Bolsonaro offer no hope to Venezuela or to the majority of people in Latin America (US puts ‘full weight’ behind regime change in Venezuela, 24 January).

Whatever views people hold on Venezuela, there is no justification for backing the US attempt at regime change under way, which, if successful, could go the way of the disastrous interventions in Iraq and Libya.

Instead, the way forward is the call for dialogue from the Mexican and Bolivian presidents.

John McDonnell MP, Diane Abbott MP, Richard Burgon MP, Dan Carden MP, Laura Pidcock MP, Emma Dent Coad MP, Clive Lewis MP, Grahame Morris MP, Kate Osamor MP, Dennis Skinner MP, Laura Smith MP, Chris Williamson MP, Neil Findlay MSP, John Finnie MSP, , Michael Mansfield QC, Owen Jones Journalist and campaigner, Tariq Ali Writer and playwright, Lowkey Rapper, Linton Kwesi Johnson Poet, Andy de la Tour Actor, John Hendy QC, Lindsey German Stop the War Coalition, Kate Hudson Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Tony Burke and Steve Turner Unite the Union assistant general secretaries, Matt Wrack FBU general secretary, Manuel Cortes TSSA general secretary, Doug Nicholls GFTU general secretary, Ronnie Draper BFAWU general secretary, Chris Kitchen NUM general secretary, Andy Kerr CWU deputy general secretary, Zita Holbourne PCS national vice-president, Sean McGovern Unite EC and TUC general council (disabled workers’ representative), Christine Blower Former NUT general secretary, Lara McNeill Labour NEC youth representative, Rachel Garnham Labour NEC member, Claudia Webbe Labour NEC member, Peter Willsman Labour NEC member, Marcus Barnett International officer, Young Labour, Mark Weisbrot Center for Economic and Policy Research, Dr Francisco Dominguez Head of Latin American Studies, Middlesex University, Ray Bush Professor of African studies and development politics, Leeds University, Peter Hallward Professor of philosophy, Kingston University, Ken Livingstone Former mayor of London, Salma Yaqoob Equality and human rights campaigner, Maggie Bowden General secretary, Liberation, Colin Burgon Labour Friends of Progressive Latin America, Dr Susan Grey Venezuela Solidarity Campaign

• The signatory list in the final letter above was amended on 28 January 2019 to remove the name of the Labour peer Doreen Massey.