Former UK PM Boris Johnson Accused of Taking $325,000 for Meeting With Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro as Questions Mount Over Motives

Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing fresh scrutiny after leaked documents known as the Boris Files revealed he allegedly received $325,000 weeks after a private 2024 meeting with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The revelations, first published by The Guardian, raise questions about whether the encounter was part of paid consultancy work or an improvised attempt at back-channel diplomacy.

According to the leaked documents, Johnson traveled to Venezuela in February 2024, cutting short a family holiday in the Dominican Republic. Boarding a private jet arranged by hedge fund manager Maarten Petermann, co-founder of Merlyn Advisors, Johnson flew into Caracas for a 45-minute meeting with Maduro. From the plane, he phoned then–Foreign Secretary David Cameron to alert him of the visit but did not disclose Petermann's involvement.

During his premiership, Johnson had described Maduro as a "dictator of an evil regime," making the meeting all the more surprising. For Maduro, isolated internationally and under U.S. sanctions, the presence of a former Western leader offered an opportunity to gain legitimacy.

Why Johnson May Have Gone

Reports in the Financial Times and The Times suggest Johnson's stated purpose was to urge Venezuela to distance itself from Russia, support Ukraine, and open a path toward normalizing relations with the U.K. Johnson framed the trip as an effort to act as a "secondary diplomatic channel" at a time when London had limited direct contact with Caracas.

Yet ethical concerns quickly surfaced. Johnson had signed a contract with Merlyn Advisors in September 2023, guaranteeing him $270,000 for up to eight meetings, with potential earnings of $2 million a year, plus an additional $45,000 per month to support a think tank project. Weeks after the Maduro trip, his office invoiced Petermann for $270,000 plus $55,000 in fees.

When questioned, Johnson insisted he had not been paid for any meeting in Venezuela and said his consultancy work with Merlyn was unrelated. He maintained that the U.K.'s ambassador in Caracas had briefed him before the visit and received a debrief afterward. Still, the timing of the payment, combined with the contract's language praising Johnson's "unique knowledge of U.K. politics and international relations," has fueled suspicions that the Maduro meeting was financially linked.

Political Fallout

The leak comes as Maduro ramps up anti-U.S. rhetoric. Just days ago, he appeared in military uniform alongside Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, vowing to resist what he described as a U.S.-backed "regime-change plan" in the Caribbean. U.S. military planes have been spotted near Venezuelan waters, while Donald Trump and Marco Rubio have issued sharp warnings against Maduro.

For critics in Britain, Johnson's meeting represents a troubling blend of personal business and diplomacy. The U.K. government watchdog Acoba accused him of being evasive about his ties to Merlyn Advisors, suggesting a possible breach of post-office rules. The Labour Party called the affair "potentially serious impropriety" and demanded clarity about who benefited from Johnson's outreach to Caracas (The Guardian).

A Shadow Over Johnson's Legacy

For Maduro, the meeting was a rare chance to engage with a Western figure as his government faces sanctions and isolation. For Johnson, it now risks being remembered as another controversy in a career marked by political turbulence.

Whether the trip was an act of statesmanship or a lucrative side deal, the Boris Files leak has blurred the line between private consulting and international diplomacy, leaving questions about transparency, ethics, and the use of influence long after Johnson left Downing Street.