‘Hands off Venezuela:’ Protestors call Trump’s Venezuela action ‘extremely disturbing’

Demonstrators gathered in Ottawa to protest U.S. actions in Venezuela but as CTV’s Josh Marano reports, others are cautiously hopeful for the country’s future.

A protest outside the United States Embassy in downtown Ottawa on Sunday highlighted sharply divided views over recent U.S. military action in Venezuela.

The U.S. extracted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife from the country on Saturday, delivering multiple air strikes in the process.

Demonstrators gathered to react to Washington’s involvement in the South American nation, most condemning the move as an attack on Venezuela’s sovereignty. Others across the city with close ties to the country expressed cautious optimism about recent developments.

Those opposing the intervention said U.S. air strikes amounted to foreign interference in Venezuela’s internal affairs.

Mariam Furré with the Ottawa Peace Council helped organize the protest and was one of over 80 people in attendance.

“I think the U.S. has a history of performing coups against socialist countries for many years. And this is nothing new,” Furré says.

“I think it’s very absurd for a government to make the decision for themselves that we don’t like this president, so we’ll just take him away. I think that’s barbaric.”

Others attending echoed similar concerns. Kevin Skerrett called the action “an outrageous violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty and the political project that’s been unfolding in Venezuela for a number of years.”

Demonstrators also questioned U.S. motives, suggesting the intervention was driven by American interests rather than concern for Venezuelans. Several speakers accused U.S. President Donal Trump of acting to advance economic and geopolitical goals in the region.

Meanwhile, some Venezuelans in Ottawa welcomed the news.

Mirian Graterol, who moved to Canada in 2018, said the arrest of President Maduro was a relief after years of economic hardship and poor treatment of Venezuelan’s.

“Very glad, very happy,” Graterol says. “We want to live with freedom.”

She said hearing that Maduro had been extracted by the U.S. military gave her hope that conditions in Venezuela could improve.

Graterol says she believes continued U.S. involvement could help stabilize the country until Venezuelans are able to rebuild on their own.

“Venezuela was a very good country,” she says. “And Venezuela could be a very good country in the future,”

“I only want that the finish of the situation would be soon, especially because we need to start to work again,” she adds. “Venezuelan people like to work.”

CTV News reached out to the U.S. Embassy for comment on the protest held outside its doors, but officials declined to respond.

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