Canada calls on ‘all parties’ to respect international law after Maduro’s capture
By Canadian Press on January 3, 2026.
TORONTO — Canada’s Foreign Affairs minister says the government is calling on “all parties” to respect international law after a shocking U.S. military operation overnight in Venezuela that saw the capture of the country’s president.
U.S. military forces extracted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from Caracas early Saturday morning and flew them out of the nation’s capital.
They are set to appear at an indictment in New York where U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi says they will face several drug-related charges after Maduro and other Venezuelan officials were indicted on “narcoterrorism” conspiracy charges.
It’s not immediately clear what the legal authority is for the Saturday attack on Maduro and Flores.
In a statement posted to social media, Anita Anand says Canada has refused to recognize the legitimacy of the Maduro regime and has opposed its oppression of Venezuelans since 2019, when Canada closed its embassy in the South American country.
She says the government is calling on all parties to “respect international law” as the situation unfolds and that Canada “stand(s) by the people of Venezuela and their desire to live in a peaceful and democratic society.”
Anand says Canada is ready to help Canadians in need through consular officials and its embassy in Bogota, Colombia.
— with files from The Associated Press
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 3, 2026.
Cassidy McMackon, The Canadian Press
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Both China and Russia have major investments in Venezuela, with China being the biggest ‘investor’ under the ‘oil for loans’ program that China has used to gain influence over countries such as Venezuela.
That may cause some major issues with both! China has been gaining large spheres of influence in South America, Africa and in the Middle East and having them gain strength so close to America was of concern. I don’t think this was about drugs, but a strategic move as the world faces WW III.
If Venezuela becomes friendly with the US again, and that heavy crude Venezuela produces is sent to the US, it could replace Canadian heavy crude that many of the US refineries are tooled to process and Canada, more so Alberta, would suffer major losses in revenue that would impact all of Canada!
But the geo-political reactions from this act against Maduro are what is of more of a concern!
I see you have a down vote from the orange man bad crowd. A couple of things. First Biden’s administration issued the indictment and arrest warrant for Maduro in 2020. Trump’s administration just enforced it.
Second, this could spell real trouble for Alberta resource exports. Venezuelan crude is higher in viscosity and obtained mostly by in situ. Some Texas and Gulf Coast refineries are already equipped to refine heavy crude from AB. Now with an estimated 2 trillion dollars worth across the Caribbean, it doesn’t take much thought that the US will begin importing ASAP from Venezuela. In comparison to the minefield of regs, statutes, legislation, protests, roadblocks that impedes anything happening in this country, they could very well limit what they need from the north to an “emergency situation”.