Britain would consider backing a global effort to impose sanctions against Venezuela as the country is in "meltdown", according to a Foreign Office minister.
Sir Alan Duncan said the United States was "absolutely right" to impose financial sanctions on the South American country's president Nicolas Maduro, amid violence in the state that has seen the families of British embassy staff withdrawn.
He added a point may be reached when the UK will back a world sanctions regime, potentially developed by the United Nations.
His remarks came as Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was urged by MPs to personally condemn the Venezuelan regime given his previous support for it under socialist Hugo Chavez and his successor Mr Maduro.
Sir Alan said it was "astonishing" that there had not been a "squeak" heard from Mr Corbyn despite international condemnation of Mr Maduro's efforts to assume nearly unlimited powers and the apparent detention of two leading Venezuelan opposition figures.
Labour MP Angela Smith, who has joined a new all-party parliamentary group on Venezuela, told the Press Association: "I think Corbyn needs to condemn the actions of the Venezuelan regime, which are a very serious threat to democracy in that country."
Graham Jones, another Labour MP and chairman of the group, told The Times: "I believe everybody in the Labour Party should condemn the Venezuelan regime because the first duty of any state is to look after its citizens. Venezuela has failed."
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable and Tory MP Mark Pritchard also called for Mr Corbyn to break his silence on the Venezuelan regime.
As a backbencher Mr Corbyn attended a 2013 vigil following the death of Mr Chavez, hailing him as an "inspiration to all of us fighting back against austerity and neo-liberal economics in Europe".
He later supported a parliamentary motion which congratulated Mr Maduro on his election as president via "transparent and fair" elections, and called for closer ties between Venezuela and the UK.
It also urged then-prime minister David Cameron to invite Mr Maduro to visit the UK at the earliest opportunity.
The following year Mr Corbyn was interviewed by Mr Maduro on the president's radio show, with the pair discussing the death of Labour stalwart Tony Benn.
Tory minister Sir Alan, asked about sanctions, told Sky News: "The United States has already imposed sanctions on president Nicolas Maduro, it's absolutely right that they've done this.
"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%. We have leaders of the opposition being arrested.
"We have demonstrators being killed and indeed your own reporter Stuart Ramsay was shot at by the police in the coverage Sky is giving to this country in meltdown.
"So there may come a point where we will become part of a world sanctions regime, for instance if the United Nations were to impose one then we would.
"But in the meantime what is astonishing is that when the world is condemning Venezuela and its government, we don't hear a squeak from the leader of the Opposition in the UK - who for 20 years or more has said he's a great friend of Venezuela, that the socialist regime there is the perfect example of what a government should be."
A spokeswoman for Mr Corbyn said the party's position was made clear in a statement on Monday from shadow foreign minister Liz McInnes.
Ms McInnes urged "the government of Venezuela to recognise its responsibilities to protect human rights, free speech and the rule of law" and said Mr Maduro must "respond personally to the legitimate concerns of the international community about the increasingly authoritarian nature of his rule and the growing hardship facing his people".
The spokeswoman for Mr Corbyn said: "The Labour Party's statement on Monday made clear our position on the importance of the respect for the rule of law and human rights.
"We're watching the situation and developments in Venezuela closely."
Labour MP John Mann said the party should "condemn the authoritarian regime" in Venezuela.
"The government has refused to protect the Jewish community there from anti-Semitic attacks and refused to meet me and other international politicians to discuss this.
"Venezuela is a despot regime..., leaving millions living in abject poverty and on the verge of starvation.
"It is time the UN intervened with personal sanctions and asset freezes on the elite who govern the country "
Asked about the Labour leadership's position, Mr Mann said: "It is time to revise our understanding of Venezuela and condemn unreservedly its current slide into violence, poverty and dictatorship."