'Hands off Venezuela,' say Hamilton protesters following U.S. military action

As the world, including Canada, tries to make sense of the U.S. capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, some Hamilton demonstrators are denouncing the military intervention.

"We think the U.S. has no right under international law to invade another country to kidnap and forcibly remove the head of state," said Ken Stone, a member of the Canada-Wide Peace and Justice Network.

Stone was joined by about two dozen protesters on Monday, standing outside the government of Canada building on Bay Street in Hamilton, chanting and holding signs that read, "Hands off Venezuela" and "No war on Venezuela."

The protesters called for the Canadian government to pressure the U.S. to return Maduro and Cilia Flores to Venezuela — as did other demonstrators in a dozen other Canadian cities in recent days.

Maduro and Flores were arrested in Caracas in an extraordinary U.S. military operation early Saturday and taken to New York City to face criminal charges related to drug trafficking and narco-terrorism. They both pleaded not guilty on Monday.

Maduro's lawyer has said his client was "abducted" by the military, and Russia, China and other allies of Venezuela have condemned the raid. Maduro loyalists remain in charge of the country and the interim president has demanded his return.

President Donald Trump's administration has said the criminal charges Maduro and his wife face justify the capture. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations maintained, at a Security Council meeting Monday, it was not an act of war, but rather a "surgical law enforcement operation."

In response, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Saturday evening Canada stands by the Venezuelan people's "right to decide and build their own future in a peaceful and democratic society." He did not directly comment on the legality of the U.S. actions.

Carney's office directed CBC Hamilton to Global Affairs Canada for comment, which did not respond before publication.

While no members from the Venezuelan community appeared to be at the Hamilton demonstration, people from other Latin American countries participated.

Federico Luchsinger, originally from Chile, called the U.S.'s actions "horrific."

He immigrated to Canada as a political refugee 50 years ago, following the CIA-backed military overthrow in Chile of the president at the time, Salvador Allende.

Luchsinger said he understands some opponents of Maduro may be happy about his capture, but this isn't the right way to go about defeating him.

"You cannot intervene and bomb," he said of the U.S. "This is just the beginning."