Britain threatens to slap Venezuela with crippling sanctions after days of violence in failed far-left state

BRITAIN has threatened to slap hard-left Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with crippling sanctions after days of violence in the failed South American state.

Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan said it was “absolutely right” that the US has punished the teetering socialist republic.

And in the strongest threat from the UK Government yet, he added: “There may come a point when we become part of a world sanctions regime.”

The senior ally of Theresa May hit out: “What we’ve got is a country being pretty well brought to its knees by its own Government, we’ve got inflation at something like 700 per cent.

“We’ve got leaders of the opposition being arrested, demonstrators being killed.”

And he made clear Britain would also join any actions set out by the United Nations to clamp down on the butchery.

Sir Alan’s comments came after his boss Boris Johnson branded the Venezuelan president a “dictator of an evil regime”, responsible for wrecking the country’s economy.

Last night the Foreign Secretary demanded the release of all political prisoners in the oil-rich country as opposition politicians were dragged from their homes in dramatic scenes.

On Tuesday the family of opposition figures Antonio Ledezma and Leopoldo Lopez told how they had been snatched by security services following a controversial election result.

Speaking to Sky News, as the Minister responsible for South America, Sir Alan Duncan said: “the US have already imposed sanctions on President Nicolas Maduro and absolutely right they have done this.

He added: “Even your own reporter Stuart Ramsay was shot at by the police, in coverage Sky are giving to this country in meltdown.

And he warned: “So there may come a point when we become part of a world sanctions regime and if the UN was to impose one then we would.”

And he also turned up the heat on Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn - who has previously heaped praise on the troubled South American state and its increasingly authoritarian socialist premier.

The Foreign Officer Minister blasted: “in the meantime what is astonishing that is when the world is condemning Venezuela, we don't hear a squeak from the leader of the opposition in the UK.

“Who for 20 years or more has said he is a great friend of Venezuela and the socialist regime there is the perfect example of what a government should be.”

Mr Corbyn has previously said Venezuela showed a "better way of doing things" and declared himself "a friend".

Sir Alan added: "He is not even criticising it, and I think it is high time he should - and if he doesn’t I just think it shows just what he would do to this country if he was ever to be our Prime Minister."

Venezuelans dispute the result of Sunday’s sham vote to elect 500 new assembly members that would allow Maduro to change the country’s constitution.

Officials in the broken country beset by street protests claim 41.5 per cent of people voted and announced that the President’s wife and cronies were elected.

But the opposition boycotted the vote saying 88 per cent of people abstained.