Viewers were left blasting Jeremy Corbyn after a heated exchange unfolded on BBC Newsnight on Monday between former Venezuelan opposition ambassador Vanessa Neumann and MP Mr Corbyn regarding the American operation to detain President Nicolás Maduro.
The debate centred on whether Washington's actions in seizing the Venezuelan leader violated international law.
Presenter Victoria Derbyshire put the question directly to Ms Neumann, asking whether Mr Corbyn's assertion that entering a sovereign nation to apprehend its leader constituted a breach of international legal norms.
Neumann firmly rejected this characterisation, prompting Corbyn to challenge her position.
BBC viewers defended Vanessa Neumann
|BBC
"Which law allows that?" the independent MP demanded.
The former diplomat, who served as Venezuela's opposition representative in Britain from 2019 to 2020, maintained that the operation was legally justified.
Ms Neumann argued that Mr Maduro should not be considered a legitimate head of state but rather a fugitive from justice leading a criminal enterprise.
"He was a fugitive from justice and not a head of state, and the head of a criminal organisation," she stated, adding that she had been "personally tracking and writing about" these activities during two decades working for a London-based think tank.
"No, it does not break international law!"
— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) January 6, 2026
"Which law allows that?!"
Venezuelan opposition ambassador to the UK 2019-20 Vanessa Neumann and Jeremy Corbyn MP clash over the US seizure of President Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela.#Newsnight pic.twitter.com/UvzoR2IWK9
The former ambassador outlined her extensive research into transnational threats emanating from Venezuela, including material support for the Colombian guerrilla group FARC, which she described as part of the Bolivarian revolution's stated manifesto.
She also highlighted agreements signed with China and Iran, accusing the Venezuelan government of providing "succor and protection and cover for Iranian IRGC operatives."
These factors, Ms Neumann concluded, rendered Mr Maduro "a threat to the region."
The Newsnight clash sparked considerable reaction on social media platform X, with the majority of viewers appearing to side with Neumann in the exchange.
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X users slammed Jeremy Corbyn
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One user declared that "she wiped the floor with him," whilst another simply praised her as "v smart."
Several commentators were particularly critical of the former Labour leader's performance, with one writing in capitals that Corbyn was "hopelessly out of his depth" during the programme.
Another viewer suggested the MP was being "schooled on his student ideology."
Some users drew comparisons to other international situations, with one pointing to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and attempts on President Zelenskyy's life, questioning Corbyn's apparent reluctance to support action in such cases.
Jeremy Corbyn appeared on BBC Newsnight on Monday
|BBC
However, not all social media users were convinced by Neumann's arguments, with a minority voicing support for Corbyn's position.
One defender suggested the MP had been "too nice" during the exchange and should have directly challenged his opponent by citing specific provisions of international law.
"You should have said she is talking nonsense and quoted Article 2 (1) + (7) sovereign nations," the user wrote, referencing UN Charter articles concerning state sovereignty.
The opposing camp was equally forthright in its criticism of the former ambassador, with one commenter dismissing her as "an unbelievably stupid woman."