Does the UK election mark the end for Theresa May?

In this week’s UpFront, we speak to former Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer and Brexit supporter Norman Lamont about the latest British election, what it means for Brexit and if it spells the end for Prime Minister Theresa May.

In the Reality Check, we examine claims that socialism is the cause of the current crisis in Venezuela.

And in a special interview, former Colombian vice president Francisco Santos explains why he thinks the negotiated peace deal with the FARC is an injustice.

Headliner – Was the UK election a rejection of Brexit?

The United Kingdom is set to leave the European Union in less than two years, usually referred to as Brexit.

In an effort to strengthen her mandate in negotiating the exit process, May called early elections, only to result in the ruling Conservative Party losing its majority.

With May’s electoral gamble backfiring, does she still have a mandate? What does this mean for Brexit and the future of the UK?

“To change the leader of the party now would simply be to pile on the chaos,” says Norman Lamont, an ardent Brexit supporter and former chancellor of the exchequer, who believes May’s re-election, despite the loss of her majority, affirms her mandate. “We have a system in this country, an electoral system, winner takes all.”

“I think the consequences of Britain leaving the EU, provided we have a satisfactory negotiation, will not be unfavourable,” says Lord Lamont. “I think it will not actually make as dramatic a difference as people think.”

In this week’s Headliner, elder statesman and leading eurosceptic Norman Lamont defends the Conservative Party and its plans for Brexit.

Reality Check – Don’t blame socialism for Venezuela’s woes

Venezuela is currently in crisis.

With protesters flooding the streets, its economy plummeting, and the highest inflation rate in the world, many critics point to its socialist style of government as the cause.

But is socialism really at fault?

In this week’s Reality Check, we show that there’s more at play in Venezuela and how only blaming socialism makes no sense.

Colombia: Is Juan Manuel Santos too easy on FARC?

Colombians narrowly voted against a peace deal with the FARC that would end 50 years of war in 2016.

Despite the defeat, Colombia’s Congress, controlled by President Juan Manuel Santos‘ governing coalition, passed a revised peace agreement that would see FARC members disarm and enter politics.

For Francisco Santos, a former vice president that served under President Alvaro Uribe, the agreement is an injustice.

“We don’t oppose the peace negotiation or the peace deal. We opposed the conditions under which peace was framed,” says Santos. “We represent a large section of Colombian society that thinks that criminals of crimes against humanity should go to jail for a little time.”

When asked about reports of mass extrajudicial killings by the military while he was vice president, Santos says when they found out, they immediately “put a stop to it”.

“When we found out that that was happening, we put a stop to it,” says Santos.

In this special interview, Francisco Santos condemns the peace agreement with the FARC, and defends against reports of “systematic” killings under his watch.

Follow UpFront on Twitter @AJUpFront and Facebook.