Liz McInnes, Labour’s Shadow Foreign Minister, responding to the outcome of the election in Venezuela, said:

“We mourn all those who have been killed and injured in the protests leading up to this election, and we urge everyone in Venezuela, on all sides, to end the bloodshed immediately.

"In particular, we urge the government of Venezuela to recognise its responsibilities to protect human rights, free speech and the rule of law. The outcome of this election cannot be treated as a mandate for a further escalation of repression, division, and violence.

"President Maduro must also respond personally to the legitimate concerns of the international community about the increasingly authoritarian nature of his rule and the growing hardship facing his people.

"If he believes those concerns are misplaced, it is up to him to prove them wrong, not through his words, but through his deeds.”