Amid global efforts to comprehend the U.S. seizure of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his spouse, protests in Hamilton, Canada, have criticized the military intervention. Ken Stone, a member of the Canada-Wide Peace and Justice Network, asserted that the U.S. lacked the legal authority to invade another nation and forcibly extract its head of state.
Approximately two dozen demonstrators gathered outside the government building on Bay Street in Hamilton, displaying signs that read “Hands off Venezuela” and “No war on Venezuela,” urging the Canadian government to press the U.S. to repatriate Maduro and Cilia Flores to Venezuela. Similar demonstrations occurred in multiple Canadian cities recently.
Following their arrest in Caracas during a dramatic U.S. military operation early Saturday, Maduro and Flores were transported to New York City to face drug trafficking and narco-terrorism charges. Both individuals pleaded not guilty on Monday, as confirmed by their lawyer, who denounced the military’s actions as an “abduction.” Russia, China, and other Venezuelan allies have condemned the raid, while Maduro loyalists continue to govern the country, with the interim president demanding his return.
President Trump’s administration defended the capture, citing the criminal charges against Maduro and his wife as justification. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations described the operation during a Security Council meeting as a “surgical law enforcement mission,” denying it constituted an act of war.
In response, Prime Minister Mark Carney affirmed Canada’s support for the Venezuelan people’s right to determine their future peacefully and democratically. Carney refrained from directly addressing the legality of the U.S. actions, redirecting inquiries to Global Affairs Canada, which did not respond before publication.
While the Hamilton protest did not include members of the Venezuelan community, individuals from other Latin American countries participated. Federico Luchsinger, a Chilean political refugee in Canada, condemned the U.S.’s actions, drawing parallels to the CIA-backed military coup in Chile. He emphasized the need to oppose interventionist tactics, highlighting suspicions of the U.S.’s motives to exploit Venezuela’s oil reserves and counter Chinese influence in the region.
At the Montreal demonstration, Venezuelan protesters celebrated Maduro’s removal, expressing optimism for a better future. Similarly, Geraldine Pacheco in Newfoundland, who fled Venezuela in 2024, praised the developments, citing the challenging conditions in her home country under Maduro’s rule. Venezuelans crossing into Colombia on Monday conveyed mixed feelings of uncertainty and cautious hope for the future.