Donald Trump’s naked imperial aggression in Venezuela highlights the need for anti-imperialism in the NDP leadership race.
While Pierre Poilievre “congratulated” Trump for “successfully arresting narco-terrorist and socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro”, Mark Carney “welcomed” the US kidnapping and bombings that killed scores. Yesterday Carney began his statement on Venezuela by noting, “One of the first actions taken by Canada’s new government in March 2025 was to impose additional sanctions on Nicolás Maduro’s brutally oppressive and criminal regime — unequivocally condemning his grave breaches of international peace and security, gross and systematic human rights violations, and corruption. Canada has not recognised 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.”
NDP interim leader Don Davies and the NDP leadership candidates’ statements correctly criticized Trump’s criminality. This hasn’t always been the case. The NDP once openly supported US imperialism against Venezuela.
During her time as foreign critic between 2015 and 2019 Hélène Laverdière repeatedly backed efforts by Washington and the opposition to undermine an essentially democratic effort to empower the poor and working class. In January 2019 Laverdière endorsed far-right politician Juan Guaido’s self-declaration as president. A former Canadian diplomat, Laverdière aligned herself with Venezuela’s far right, which had repeatedly sought to overthrow democracy. Among numerous criticisms of Venezuela’s government, Laverdière in 2017 labelled the vice-president “a drug lord” from whom “the American government has seized billions of dollars of his assets for drug trafficking.” Laverdière should have been removed as foreign critic the day after repeating this obviously absurd claim from Venezuela’s lunatic far right.
Even before Laverdière, the NDP took up Washington’s line towards Venezuela. Amidst three months of violent right wing protests in early 2014, then NDP foreign critic Paul Dewar sponsored a House of Commons resolution that asked “the Government of Canada to urge Venezuelan authorities to proactively de-escalate the conflict, protect the human and democratic freedoms of Venezuelan citizens, release all those detained during the protests, immediately cease all government interference with peaceful protesters, and ensure that those people who perpetrated the violence be brought to justice and bear the full weight of the law.”
Despite criticizing Trump’s brazen aggression, the other NDP leadership candidates remained silent during four months of US boat bombing and escalating blockade on Venezuela (Davies posted a Tweet criticizing US bombings a month ago). Today US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US will continue with that blockade to ensure new President Delcy Rodriguez will accedes to its dictates.
The NDP interim leader and leadership candidates also ignored Canada’s direct complicity in the blockade and violence. Canada’s sanctions have contributed to the US’s bid to asphyxiate Venezuela’s economy. Additionally, through NORAD and Operation Carribbe, as well as ties to the US Southern Command and US Space Command, Canada’s military has almost certainly assisted the US bombings and maybe even the raid to kidnap Maduro.
The NDP candidates and interim leader were also silent on Ottawa’s (and NDP) historic contribution to efforts to oust Maduro. In 2017-2020 Ottawa worked to isolate Caracas by imposing illegal sanctions, taking that government to the International Criminal Court, financing an often-unsavoury opposition and deciding a marginal opposition politician was the legitimate president. They also set up a coalition of anti-Maduro governments in the Hemisphere dubbed the Lima Group.
None of the NDP leadership candidates called to free Maduro or to ensure Canada isn’t offering any military assistance to the US aggression. Nor did any of them call to rescind Canada’s sanctions contributing to Trump’s criminal blockade or for Ottawa to restart diplomatic relations with Caracas.
In the coming weeks and months expect Donald Trump to ramp up his violence across the globe. Also expect Mark Carney and Pierre Poilievre to actively or passively support US aggression. The NDP needs to offer a genuine alternative. Anti-imperialist voices should be allowed in the NDP leadership race.
Please email Carney and foreign minister Anand to demand Canada denounce the US’ flagrant violation of international law and call for an end of direct Canadian support for Trump’s violence and blockade.
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