OTTAWA — As a number of countries condemn the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by the United States, protesters in Ottawa were calling for the federal government to support the right to self-determination for the Venezuelan people and for the U.S. to back away.
Dozens of protesters gathered in front of the U.S. embassy steps away from Parliament Hill on Sunday to denounce President Donald Trump’s actions in the country that extracted Maduro and his wife from their home in a military base in Caracas this weekend.
The whirlwind military operation saw multiple explosions ring out as low-flying aircraft swept through the nation’s capital.
Emmanuel Galleguillos-Cote, a protester outside the embassy, said the military action is just the latest chapter in a story of the U.S. treating Latin America “like its own backyard” to develop resources.
Protesters chanted in support of Maduro, who they say should be supported by Canada and Prime Minister Mark Carney, and against Trump, who the say is causing instability in the region.
Speaking to reporters hours after Maduro’s capture, Trump revealed his plans to exploit the leadership void to “fix” the country’s oil infrastructure and sell “large amounts” of oil to other countries.
“(The United States) thinks that these resources belong to them and it doesn’t — it belongs to the people, and it’s up to the people and their right to self-determination to be able to govern themselves and not have the U.S. Intervene,” Galleguillos-Cote said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio seemed to backtrack Sunday, suggesting that the United States would not take a day-to-day role in governing Venezuela other than enforcing an existing “oil quarantine”
Six countries, including Mexico and Spain, issued a statement Sunday condemning the U.S.’s actions, saying it sets a dangerous precedent for peace and regional security.
“We reiterate that the situation in Venezuela must be resolved exclusively through peaceful means, by means of dialogue, negotiation, and respect for the will of the Venezuelan people in all its expressions, without external interference and in accordance with international law,” the statement says.
“We express our concern regarding any attempt at government control, administration, or external appropriation of natural or strategic resources, which is incompatible with international law and threatens the political, economic, and social stability of the region.”
Diana Rizo, a counter-protester in Ottawa who fled to Canada from Venezuela in 2014., said she was confused why people would take to the streets to support Maduro, who she said has caused harm to her country and those who opposed his leadership.
“I want to go back, and (the U.S.) is giving me the opportunity and the hope,” she said.
“I have lived so many years without hope of going back to my country, and finally I see the hope.”
Many Venezuelans who have decided to settle outside their country, like Rizo, say the recent developments bring the prospect of reuniting with family and friends who remained behind.
Venezuelans also hope to return to a normal life and finally see democracy established in their country.
“We were waiting for something, a miracle, because we had tried everything else before,” said Claudia Carrera, who has lived in Quebec City for 25 years. “We tried strikes, we tried demonstrations, we tried for a democratic life with elections, but nothing worked.”
“The only hope we had was that someone from outside would come to our aid,” she said, adding that she hopes the United States will remain for some time before leaving and letting the people run the country.
Prime Minister Mark Carney reacted on Saturday afternoon to Maduro’s ouster by noting that one of the first actions taken by his new government in March was to impose additional sanctions on his “brutally oppressive and criminal regime.”
In a statement posted to social media, Carney noted that Canada has not recognized “the illegitimate regime of Maduro since it stole the 2018 election.”
“The Canadian government therefore welcomes the opportunity for freedom, democracy, peace, and prosperity for the Venezuelan people,” Carney wrote.
But he also wrote that Canada has “long supported a peaceful, negotiated, and Venezuelan-led transition process that respects the democratic will of the Venezuelan people,” adding that Canada calls on all parties to respect international law.
“We stand by the Venezuelan people’s sovereign right to decide and build their own future in a peaceful and democratic society,” Carney’s statement said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 4, 2025.
— With files from Cassidy McMackon and Charlotte Glorieux
Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press
