'Socialism in action' Labour's John McDonnell PRAISES Venezuelan regime in shock clip
LABOUR'S Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell once hailed the hard-left regime in Venezuela as "socialism in action", it has emerged.
John McDonnell praises Venezuelan regime as 'socialism in action'
Mr McDonnell paid tribute to late president Hugo Chavez in a 2014 documentary, saying his Bolivarian revolution "lit a spark" across the world.
His revealing comments have been unearthed by Express.co.uk as Venezuela edges towards economic catastrophe under Chavez's successor Nicolas Maduro.
The country's Marxist policies have sent inflation soaring, while more than 100 people have died in violent clashes protesting against Maduro.
Chavez lit a spark that really started the fire across America
Mr McDonnell, who was a backbencher when the documentary was broadcast, said: "He [Chavez] lit a spark that really started the fire across America.
"But I don't think anyone expected that would permeate discussion in Europe itself.
"So Venezuela, and the Bolivarian revolution, became an item on the agenda for all socialists. And it went beyond that, right the way across the world, so I think that was significant."
John McDonnell paid tribute to late president Hugo Chavez in a 2014 documentary
The outspoken Labour MP, a self-proclaimed Marxist, also praised Chavez's socialist revolution for helped to "address" poverty in Venezuela.
He added: "Employment was being raised, public services were being invested in, literacy rates were rising [and] a new health service was being founded and established.
"So here you had the contrast between capitalism in crisis [in other countries] and socialism in action [in Venezuela]."
McDonnell was a backbencher when the documentary about Chavez was broadcast
The documentary, titled Hugo Chavez: A Portrait from Europe, also featured ex-London mayor Ken Livingstone, another stalwart of Labour's hard-left.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn did not appear in the show, broadcast on Latin American channel Telesur, but he has also praised Chavez's regime in the past.
After his death in 2013, Mr Corbyn tweeted: "Thanks Hugo Chavez for showing that the poor matter and wealth can be shared.
"He made massive contributions to Venezuela & a very wide world."
Venezuela is edging towards economic catastrophe under Chavez's successor Maduro
Yesterday it emerged that Diane Abbott, the Shadow Home Secretary, co-signed a letter praising Chavez in 2007.
Ms Abbott, then also a backbencher, contributed to the letter, which hailed his "sweeping social, political and economic agenda".
The letter, published in the Guardian, also claimed "the lives of millions of Venezuelans have been transformed" by his controversial policies.