Corbyn May Be Helped by Pompeo's Tongue Lashing on Maduro

(Bloomberg) -- Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the U.K.’s main opposition Labour Party, may have been helped by the visit to London by Mike Pompeo after the U.S. Secretary of State’s outspoken criticism of the veteran socialist’s support for Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

While Pompeo pulled no punches in his attack on Western leaders who back Maduro’s government, Corbyn’s base will take it as an endorsement of his anti-imperialist world view. Moderate voters are likely to balk at the fact that he has attracted such public criticism from a key U.K. ally.

“It’s disgusting to see leaders in not only the U.K. but the United States as well who continue to support the murderous dictator Maduro, and it’s not in either of our country’s best interests for those leaders to advocate on his behalf,” Pompeo said.

“The Venezuelan people have spoken through their constitutional mechanism, they have put Juan Guaido as their interim president, he is the duly elected leader -- Maduro is on borrowed time,” Pompeo said. “No leader in a country with Western democratic values ought to stand behind” the regime.

Pompeo’s answer fits with views held by many of Corbyn’s supporters, who back Maduro’s regime and claim the efforts to overthrow him are a U.S.-inspired coup to oust a legitimate political leader.

To contact the reporter on this story: Thomas Penny in London at tpenny@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Alex Morales, Stuart Biggs

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