Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside Downing Street on Monday, demanding the release of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was captured by US forces and taken to New York to face drug-trafficking charges.
MPs Address Defiant Crowd in Westminster
Among the crowd, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and MP Richard Burgon delivered speeches, calling on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to confront US President Donald Trump over the military action. Protesters chanted "free Maduro" as the event, organised by the Stop the War Coalition under the banner 'No War On Venezuela', unfolded.
The demonstration took place just a short distance from the House of Commons, where Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper was making a statement. The protest saw a small group of men stamp on and tear up a US flag, highlighting the depth of anger among some attendees.
Mounting Pressure on Starmer Over International Law
The Prime Minister is facing significant pressure from the left wing of the Labour Party to condemn the US operation. MPs argue the action, which saw Maduro and his wife seized from their home, risks breaching fundamental principles of international law.
Central to their concerns is Article 2 of the United Nations Charter, which requires all members to refrain from "the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state". Legal experts suggest the US could be in violation if it fails to provide a clear justification for the attacks that led to Maduro's capture.
Maduro's Defiant Courtroom Appearance
The protest coincided with Nicolas Maduro's first courtroom appearance since his capture. In a New York court on Monday 5th January 2026, a defiant Maduro pleaded not guilty to federal drug-trafficking charges and declared himself the "president of my country".
This prosecution marks one of the most consequential legal actions taken by the US government against a foreign head of state in decades. The events have ignited a major diplomatic row, with the London protest underscoring the domestic political divisions the crisis has exposed within the UK.
