U.S. capture of Maduro raises geopolitical stakes for global oil trade, Chinese influence in the Western Hemisphere, and Canada’s own strategic economic interests

Prime Minister Mark Carney's cautious tone is a clear indication of the fraught path ahead as he seeks to lessen economic dependence on the United States, increase trade ties with Asia, and avoid further confrontation with an unpredictable and combative Donald Trump.

U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and deposed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Former Canadian diplomat Louise Blais said the American seizure of power in Caracas provides a key 'deliverable' for Trump: 'A pathway back to Venezuelan crude, under conditions Washington controls, at a time when global supply discipline is politically valuable.' Photographs courtesy of Commons Wikimedia

Opinion

BY SHAWN MCCARTHY

January 5, 2026

OTTAWA—The U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro raises the geopolitical stakes for global oil trade, Chinese influence in the Western Hemisphere, and Canada’s own strategic economic interests.

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