On the morning of January 3rd, 2026, the United States carried out a shameful act of state-terrorism against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, its courageous people, and its democratically elected government, including the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and the First Lady, Cilia Flores. 

Let us be clear, this grotesque attack against civilian and military targets and against a sovereign country’s democratic institutions is not only an attack against Venezuela, but against international law, human rights, and the UN Charter, which threatens the entirety of both Latin America and the international community at-large. 

Since then, the Trump regime has stated its intention to “run Venezuela” and also to seize Venezuelan mineral resources - most notably oil. 

Rather than condemn these blatant acts of imperialism and terrorist violence, Canada’s foreign affairs minister Anita Anand has stated on behalf of the federal government that Canada has “refused to recognise any legitimacy of the Maduro regime,” and that “In keeping with our long-standing commitment to upholding the rule of law and democracy, Canada calls on all parties to respect international law and we stand by the people of Venezuela and their desire to live in a peaceful and democratic society". Such cynical hypocrisy must be utterly rejected and repudiated by all progressive forces. 

We therefore call on the government of Canada, led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, to reverse its support for US state-terrorism, and to live up to its stated commitment to democracy and rule of law by denouncing these events and by supporting the people of Venezuela in their right to peace, self-determination, and sovereignty. 

We also echo the demands of the democratically elected government and the United Socialist Party of Venezuela for an immediate withdrawal of all US forces from the region, the return of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, alive and unharmed, and the call to governments, political parties, and social movements to take to the streets in support of the Venezuelan people. 

We, the undersigned, demand the following:

• For the Canadian government to denounce and repudiate the actions of the United States, which are in contradiction with international law and the UN Charter. 
• For the Canadian government to call for the release and safe return of the democratically elected President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and the First Lady, Cilia Flores. 
• For Canada to lift the unilateral and illegal sanctions on Venezuela
• Immediate withdrawal of all U.S forces from the region.