Canada calls on ‘all parties’ to respect international law after Maduro’s capture – Brandon Sun

TORONTO — Canada's foreign minister says the government is calling on “all parties” to respect international law following a shocking overnight U.S. military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of the country's president.

Early Saturday morning, U.S. forces removed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from Caracas and escorted them out of the country's capital.

They are set to face an indictment in New York, where US Attorney General Pam Bondi says they will face multiple drug-related charges after Maduro and other Venezuelan officials were charged with a “narco-terrorism” plot.

It is not yet clear what the legal basis for Saturday's attack on Maduro and Flores is.

In a statement posted on 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 calls on all parties to “respect international law” as the situation evolves and that Canada “stands with 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.