Conservatives are urging the Liberal government to acknowledge exiled Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González as president-elect.
In a statement released on Dec. 30, Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong pointed out that Venezuela is nearing its scheduled inauguration on Jan. 10, 2025. Incumbent President Nicolás Maduro is looking to “illegitimately install himself to a third term” despite controversies surrounding the 2024 election results.
“Maduro has suppressed last July’s election results by ruthlessly repressing Venezuelans standing up for democracy, including killing dozens and jailing thousands,” Chong stated. He also mentioned that Venezuelan government had previously blocked another opposition candidate, María Corina Machado, from running for president.
Although Venezuela’s National Electoral Council and the Supreme Tribunal of Justice — both closely tied to Maduro — have declared him the winner with a slim 52 percent of the vote, an opposition investigation reveals that González received twice as many votes.
In the aftermath of Venezuela’s election in July, the Maduro government suppressed widespread protests against the regime, leading to at least 28 deaths, 43 disappearances, and 2,000 arbitrary detentions. This crackdown prompted González to flee to Spain on Sept. 7, as reported by Global Affairs Canada.
Demonstrators confront riot police during a protest against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government in Puerto La Cruz, Anzoategui state, Venezuela, on July 29, 2024. Carlos Landaeta/AFP via Getty Images
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan people in an August statement, urging the release of those detained arbitrarily. Later in December, she announced sanctions against five Venezuelan officials for undermining the country’s democracy.
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Nevertheless, Chong called on the Liberal government to go a step further by “clearly recognizing” González as Venezuela’s president-elect.
On Dec. 30, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that he had spoken with González, reaffirming U.S. support for the Venezuelan people’s choice. Meanwhile, members of the European Parliament have voted in favor of a resolution recognizing González as Venezuela’s legitimately elected president.
Displacing Venezuelan Oil
The Conservatives also urged Ottawa to explore ways with the incoming U.S. administration to “displace Venezuelan oil” by increasing Canadian oil exports to the United States.
“Conservatives understand the importance of energy to our economy and to North American security,” Chong mentioned in the statement, proposing that these actions will accelerate change in Venezuela by applying more pressure on the Maduro regime.
In 2017, during his first term, former U.S. President Donald Trump imposed financial sanctions on Venezuela’s state-owned oil company PDVSA, followed by a complete oil embargo in 2019. The embargo froze all PDVSA assets under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibited U.S. entities from doing business with the firm.
In October 2023, U.S. President Joe Biden temporarily lifted some sanctions on Venezuela’s oil and gas sectors in exchange for commitments to release political prisoners and conduct fair 2024 elections. However, most sanctions were reimposed in April after the U.S. State Department declared that the Maduro regime had failed to fulfill the agreement to hold free elections.
Chong also underscored Maduro’s suppression of democracy and human rights since assuming office in 2013, which he said has triggered a migration crisis. According to estimates by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, an estimated 7.8 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants are scattered worldwide.
