JEREMY CORBYN called for “dialogue and process” in Venezuela yesterday, condemning     violence inflicted by “all sides” during the continuing crisis.

The Labour leader, who refused to attack socialist President Nicolas Maduro, has been under pressure to comment on the situation in the South American country which has been subjected to increasing violence by the right-wing opposition.

Mr Corbyn said it was important to recognise the Venezuelan government’s “effective and serious attempts” to reduce poverty and improve literacy and the lives of the poorest in the state since the election of late president Hugo Chavez and then President Maduro.

Speaking in Crawley, West Sussex, where he was attending a meeting of Labour Party members, Mr Corbyn said: “I’m very sad at the lives that have been lost in Venezuela.

“The people who have died, either those on the streets or security forces that have been attacked by people on the street — all of those lives are terrible for the loss of them.

“There has to be a dialogue and a process that respects the independence of the judiciary and respects the human rights of all.”

He said he supported French President Emmanuel Macron’s call for a dialogue, and said it “should be regionally based to improve the situation there.”

Venezuela has the second largest oil reserves in the world — more even than Saudi Arabia — a fact of some interest to the United States.

Under president Chavez revenues from the industry were channelled into the health service, education, housing and infrastructure.

But the country became so heavily dependent on its oil industry, at the expense of other industries, that when oil prices collapsed so did Venezuela’s economy.

The United States and its friends within Venezuela were quick to take advantage of the situation.    

Factory owners and other employers have been staging “strikes,” locking out workers which has worsened the economic situation. They have kept food and medicines in short supply.

Troops of right-wing thugs took to the streets attacking police and supporters of the government.

Elections of an assembly to draft a new constitution for Venezuela were boycotted by right-wing parties, and there were attempts to disrupt the elections by right-wing gangs on the streets.