Overview
- U.S. forces conducted pre-dawn strikes in Caracas, captured Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores, and transported them to New York to face Southern District of New York narcotics and “narcoterrorism” charges.
- President Donald Trump said the United States would run Venezuela during a transition and highlighted plans to rebuild oil infrastructure, prompting heightened international scrutiny and UN concern.
- Prime Minister Mark Carney and Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand reaffirmed that Canada does not recognize Maduro, urged respect for international law, and endorsed a negotiated transition led by Venezuelans.
- Global Affairs Canada issued a travel warning advising Canadians to avoid Venezuela, cited severely limited consular capacity in-country, and directed assistance through the embassy in Bogotá.
- Reactions in Canada were split, with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre praising the capture as justice while NDP, Green, and Bloc figures denounced the operation’s legality; Venezuelan-Canadians expressed relief mixed with concern over bombing and sovereignty.