Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson secretly traveled to Venezuela in February to meet with socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro, the British newspaper the Sunday Times reported over the weekend.
The Sunday Times claimed that Johnson allegedly discussed the Russian invasion of Ukraine with Maduro, who is a staunch supporter and key ally of Russia in the region. The newspaper further alleged that U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron knew of the meeting.
Unnamed sources claimed to the Sunday Times that Johnson was acting as a “back channel for the UK and the West more generally given the dire state of relations with a strategically significant country.”
Johnson reportedly spent less than 24 hours in Venezuela, traveling by use of a private jet from a family vacation in the Dominican Republic and arriving at a location outside of the capital city of Caracas, where he met with the socialist dictator. Johnson then returned to the Dominican Republic before departing to Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky on the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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“Johnson spoke to Maduro about the war in Ukraine amid concern in western diplomatic and intelligence circles that the oil-rich socialist republic could supply weapons or other military support to Russia, a close ally,” the report read.
Johnson also allegedly discussed conditions to normalize relations with the Maduro regime. The United Kingdom does not recognize Maduro’s government as legitimate after the socialist dictator held a sham presidential election in May 2018 to cling to power.
Like much of the free world, the U.K. had instead chosen to recognize the now-dissolved presidency of Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate government. The U.K.’s recognition of Guaidó’s presidency over Maduro’s illegitimate rule was a crucial element leading to a London court ruling in favor of denying control to Maduro of more than $1 billion worth of Venezuelan gold held in the Bank of England in 2022. The socialist regime appealed the court ruling in 2023 after Guaidó’s presidency was dissolved in December 2022. A new ruling over control of the gold remains pending.
Other topics discussed between Johnson and Maduro, according to the Sunday Times, were the matter of holding a “free and fair” presidential election in 2024 and a de-escalation of Venezuela’s tensions with Guyana over the disputed Essequibo territory.
Guyana was a former British colony until it gained its independence in 1966. A 120-year-old territorial dispute over the Essequibo region, which represents two-thirds of Guyana, remains active today, a holdover of the British era. The Maduro regime escalated the dispute last year by threatening to forcefully annex the contested territory. Maduro has also continuously threatened the American oil company ExxonMobil to abstain from drilling oil in waters near the contested territory.
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The Sunday Times’ report stated that Johnson’s office informed the newspaper that Foreign Secretary David Cameron was aware of the visit, adding that the visit did not require permission from the British government as it was not an official visit. A Foreign Office source told the newspaper that Johnson “notified Cameron of the summit en route” via text message.
“Johnson’s office said Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton, the foreign secretary, was aware of the visit,” the report stated. “His spokesman added that Johnson spoke to Colin Dick, who is the chargé d’affaires in Caracas — the most senior British diplomat in the country — seeking his reflections on what would be useful to say.”
A spokesman from Johnson’s office reportedly said:
Boris Johnson met Venezuelan government officials with active support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the knowledge of the foreign secretary, in order to emphasize the need for Venezuela to embrace a proper democratic process.
He repeatedly made clear there can be no hope of normalization in relations until Venezuela fully embraces democracy and respects the territorial integrity of its neighbors. He also set out the case for the cause of Ukrainian victory to the government of Venezuela.
The Sunday Times subsequently reported that the British government denied that Johnson was acting in an official capacity during his alleged trip to Venezuela.
“He was acting entirely in a personal capacity and not on behalf of the UK government,” a government source said.
The Sunday Times stated that it is not clear who covered the costs of Johnson’s trip to Venezuela, as the private jet was funded independently and neither the British nor Venezuelan governments were reportedly involved.
Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
