“Rest up. It’s only going to get worse.” – A New Year’s message from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Well, it certainly did not take long for that prophecy to become reality. Barely into the New Year, the United States, on the direction of President Donald Trump, invaded Venezuela, kidnapped (Trump’s own words) its President, Nicolas Maduro, and with boots on the ground, began to “Run Venezuela.” (again, Trump’s own words).
Now let’s get this up front. By all indicators, Nicolas Maduro is a really bad dude. He stole the presidency of his country, he ended democracy there, he ruled by oppression, and he is reputed to be a major drug lord. There is nothing good that can be said about him.
Venezuelans are celebrating Maduro’s downfall and many others around the world are doing so as well. Donald Trump is being praised in a number of quarters where he otherwise would not be. It will be no surprise to me if his polling numbers in the United States, at the moment somewhat dismal, improve considerably.
But there is a much darker side here that must not be lost in the jubilation of taking down a bad guy.
By any definition, Donald Trump has declared war on Venezuela. He has occupied that country, seized its resources and governance, and done so without adhering to the rule of law, both internationally and within the United States.
His supporters are saying this was not an act of war but simply the extraction of a really bad individual who is harmful to the United States. They point to former extractions such as Bin Laden and Noriega as precedents for what has happened in Venezuela, but they are wrong. In those instances, there were no wholesale invasions of sovereign countries. It was simply in and out with no warlike or takeover repercussions to the countries involved.
Donald Trump has unilaterally invaded Venezuela and put it under American control. He has done this without the consent of Congress and without their prior knowledge, both of which are required under the American Constitution.
And since the invasion of Venezuela, President Trump has doubled down. When the takeover of that country comes to the United Nations, as it inevitably will, Trump has announced that American aid will be cut off to any nation that votes against the United States. As well, he has publicly made noises that Cuba and Iran may be next on his agenda.
Unilaterally attacking a sovereign nation is an act of war and when it is waged contrary to the rule of law, it becomes a big problem. Most importantly, without the rule of law, there is no democracy.
The immediate problem here is that the American Congress is inherently gutless. As a body, they will not stand up to Donald Trump, and they effectively allow him to override their constitutional powers and responsibilities. Congress alone can rein in Donald Trump, but they refuse to do so.
There are those who believe that midterm congressional elections this Fall will change the balance of power and consequently control Trump. They are dreaming. The American Constitution allows the President alone to cancel or postpone elections if the country is at war. In my view, Trump will not hesitate to create that war and use that power, even as he ignores other requirements of the Constitution, if he believes mid-term elections could go against him.
If he is allowed to get away with it, the precedent that Donald Trump has set by unilaterally invading Venezuela is frightening. It allows every president, every prime minister, every country to become a target of those who disagree with them or covet their resources. It enables and even encourages countries like Russia and China to invade sovereign nations like Ukraine and Taiwan for their own territorial purposes. It also raises the serious threat that it will not stop there.
My chief concern as we enter 2026 is that the global stability of the past six decades is disappearing, and we are moving dangerously closer to another world conflict. Presently, there are at least two dozen battles or skirmishes taking place globally. In addition to Venezuela, among these are Ukraine, Taiwan, Iran, Nigeria, the Middle East, parts of Europe, and too many others to mention here. When does this all rupture into global conflict?
I hope I am wrong, but I truly believe the global challenges we face now are greater than any we have faced since the Second World War. At the moment, the United States, Russia, and China are making a pretty good case that they can do whatever they want, wherever they want.
That is not a good thing, and it overwhelms other serious challenges that must be faced in 2026 like climate change, rampant antisemitism, the unilateral imposition of tariffs, personal political aggrandizement, revenge politics and Immigration reform, to name a few.
I was struck by a comment from a reader, Lisa Brooks, on another article on Doppler. “My pet peeve is how easily serious reflection can slide into quiet acceptance of things we would once have questioned distinctly.”
Perhaps in 2026, that is the most important issue for us all to come to grips with and to fix.
Hugh Mackenzie
Hugh Mackenzie has held elected office as a trustee on the Muskoka Board of Education, a Huntsville councillor, a District councillor, and mayor of Huntsville. He has also served as chairman of the District of Muskoka and as chief of staff to former premier of Ontario, Frank Miller.
Hugh has also served on a number of provincial, federal and local boards, including chair of the Ontario Health Disciplines Board, vice-chair of the Ontario Family Health Network, vice-chair of the Ontario Election Finance Commission, and board member of Roy Thomson Hall, the National Theatre School of Canada, and the Anglican Church of Canada. Locally, he has served as president of the Huntsville Rotary Club, chair of Huntsville District Memorial Hospital, chair of the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, president of Huntsville Festival of the Arts, and board member of Community Living Huntsville.
In business, Hugh Mackenzie has a background in radio and newspaper publishing. He was also a founding partner and CEO of Enterprise Canada, a national public affairs and strategic communications firm established in 1986.
Currently, Hugh is president of C3 Digital Media Inc., the parent company of Doppler Online, and he enjoys writing commentary for Huntsville Doppler.
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Our southern neighbors are beginning to live as people do in the regimes their government is attacking. There are some who seem to feel that this is as it should be. But are we seeing a nation become a totalitarian state? It doesn’t seem to be far off. The grip the Trump administration is exerting seems to spell the end of accepted ‘rule of law’. The law is becoming what they see as fit.
That’s much the same sort of government as exists in Iran, Russia, Turkey, China and as existed in Venezuela. Maybe still does in Venezuela. Since Maduro was captured and American access to the oil secured. ‘the donald’ seems to have lost interest in the country. Or in having ‘drug runners’ in speed boats murdered.
But apparently somebody has to die. It’s like some sort of human sacrifice is necessary to placate the lust of the system that is growing in America. To show the undecided that the new regime is serious. And it needn’t be foreign blood that is shed. It can be right there in Minneapolis or Portland. It can be people just like your neighbor. Or you?
One of the scary bits is that we have all read (hopefully or unfortunately) of the forming of quasi military groups generated by states before. Sudetendeutsche Freikorps of Czechoslovakia. The Stasi of East Germany. The ‘Putin Youth”. The Nazi “Brownshirts’. They operated inside ‘rules’ made for them. Now we have ICE. And a woman is dead. Before any real investigation, the powers that be are going with the guilty verdict. Protecting their local muscle.
I don’t know where it all goes from here. We’ve always watched from afar as dictatorships grew. But this one is right here. Next door. Once a staunch ally and partner. The home of a lot of our relatives! Now I wonder if there is enough law or justice, moral fabric or intestinal fortitude left in the USA to withstand the assault on their democracy. Or maybe a lying predator is okay with them?
I’ve made it into my 80’s so the bastard won’t get too much of me. But I worry for my children and grand children. Dylan gave us the song “Sundown on the Union”. How could he have known and why were we just dancing and not listening?
We all know empires have a shelf life. Has America reached its?
What ties Venezuela, Ukraine, and even the discussion around AI and national security together is a simple question: do we still believe power should be exercised within rules, or not? Ukraine’s allies are trying to rebuild deterrence through shared commitments, law, and verification because history shows that when those guardrails disappear, instability follows. By contrast, actions like the unilateral invasion of Venezuela, threats toward Greenland and Mexico, and the boarding of sanctioned oil vessels in international waters point to a world where pressure replaces agreed rules—leaving smaller, law-abiding countries more exposed.
This isn’t about defending any one government or leader — it’s about defending the rules and alliances Canada depends on. Around the world, AI is already being used for intelligence, cyber defence, and national security risk assessment. The technology itself isn’t the danger; the risk comes when it’s deployed without clear limits, human oversight, or shared standards.
For a country like Canada, the choice isn’t to copy raw power, but to strengthen unity at home and with like-minded countries, much as we did after the Second World War. The same principle applies domestically: when political spaces turn into closed circles driven by outrage and grievance, they stop being healthy and stop serving the country as a whole. This doesn’t have to be left or right.
These are dangerous times. Who we stand with should be all of Canada — and with other countries that share a commitment to the rule of law, democratic institutions, restraint, and cooperation.
the Trump administration should be getting an Emmy or Golden Globe for their current “reality show” drama- They certainly have all most of the world’s viewing and online attention every day. Lego sets and action figures can only follow. (made in China probably with byproducts of fossil fuel industry) I wonder what the Trumps will wear on the red carpet for the awards. Would it be too much for Donald Trump to get a Nobel Peace Prize to put beside his FIFA peace prize? For sure the Trump Administration should be on Time’s cover next year as “persons of the year”
There seems to be quite a discrepancy in the pro/anti legality of what ‘the donald’ has inflicted upon Venezuela. In my mind he only wants the resources and the people be damned. But I’m one of the ‘people’ in another possible target, so I am concerned.
With Maduro captured, will the US military stop murdering those they deem to be running drugs? On the open ocean in a boat, they should be easily captured. Or are those lives just worthless? Will they now be brought before a court as it seems it is imperative for Maduro to be? Or is the threat now alleviated? Why is a court not important in those lives whereas it is so important for Maduro to face trial? America seems to be using the ‘law’ as a convenience.
If Xi Jinping were to deem that ‘the donalds’ war on drugs was a threat to China’s national security, how would America react to their president being absconded and dumped before an international court? Xi could say there was a national security threat, inasmuch as too many chemists were being put out of work in China. As reasonable a ‘trumped’ up charge (see how that works?) as any ‘the donald’ has used.
Don’t need a whole bunch of “it couldn’t happens” here since I’m just what iffing. And we don’t know if it could or couldn’t be done because it hasn’t specifically happened. Although we now have another example of it having been done. Noriega and Dubcek were incidents along the same theme, as well as Cornwallis’ attempt to capture Jefferson in the 1780’s.
But should ‘the donald’ get had, I have to acknowledge I wouldn’t miss him. But I would still question the legality of it having been done. The head of a sovereign state! Americans would blow their cool and I would agree with them. But I find his action no less repugnant than the ‘weapons of mass destruction’ fiasco. The catastrophe in Ukraine. The pending situation of Taiwan.
In the end, after considering it all, I think the American action is not legal. Just an opinion. But I do know I never feared Maduro as a petty potentate. I do fear ‘the donald’ as a proven international predator.
Hello Alan Holt;
A recent speech at NATO security council by Economist Sachs cites 70 times since 1947 that the USA has interfered in other countries’ elections, battles, wars, and taken some type of action for regime change in government (through military, financing, for example).
Check out YouTube speech. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2Ohmxfq0TE
Allen Holt, Everyone knows Maduro is a bad character. Trump’s actions might have been better received if had just kept his big mouth shut. But he cant do that. He had to go on about where he would go next; NATO member and extremely good world citizen Denmark / Greenland, Colombia etc.
To Barb Armstrong.” Canadian teacher link”.
Wow. That’s awesome. Especially when I’m retired from EXXONMOBIL
For anyone questioning the legality of attacking Venezuela and abducting their leader:
Remember we’re talking about a highly corrupt leader, a known criminal who used his high office to make billions for himself, and has manipulated elections to stay in power, has used his military against his own citizens, has protected his corrupt friends and punished his political enemies.
And the President of Venezuela did some bad things too.
Thanks, Hugh, for a very good overview and for good comments by all contributors. Selfish and stupid would-be dictators like Maduro, Putin and now Trump can certainly cause havoc, but the forces of nature and science are much more powerful and are well underway.
History is full of tipping points, most of which involved a few countries or a few parts of a much smaller world population. But it’s 2026. The global population will soon be 10 times 1800. We are a year closer to the fast-approaching dual crises of global energy shortages and irreversible climate change that no country can escape. The 3 tyrants are all ignoring these for their own ego at their own peril.
The 2015 Paris Climate Accord was signed by 195 countries calling for Net-Zero emissions by 2050.
The good news is that most truly world leaders understand these existential threats and are committed to solving them. China has a way to go but understands and has one of the best programs underway. Japan, South Korea and Canada are underway. The USA will dump Trump and come back soon. They will all leave the likes of Trump, Putin and Maduro in the dustbin of history.
Once again, you’ve nailed it, Hugh. We most definitely need to ‘stay calm & build strength’ because we already know Canada is in the madman’s radar for claiming as the 51st state. (and NO, that would NOT be good for Canadians)
The frightening part, and I do agree with most of the other comments, is that it’s not just about the oil. While controlling one of the worlds largest oil supplies (Venezuela) the US will try to regain the control of the world oil market. If he does, it will inflate the US dollar (a Lot) and there will be no stopping this guy. If his evil plan is thwarted by BRICS, and the US economy tanks (hey, they voted for him) we might stand a chance at not seeing WWIII.
A great explanation was done by a Canadian teacher – on Instagram. I’ll add the link, but if it doesn’t work, do a search on “Canadian Teacher explains Venezuela” – she gives a very clear history lesson and explains it beautifully.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTEh-THjGrv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Who will be next ?
Cuba. Greenland. Maybe us. He said Canada has nothing they need. Wood. Oil. Fresh water. Minerals. He is a sick, sick man.
We should be worried.
It’s noteworthy that Poilievre publicly praised Trump for the illegal invasion of Venezuela and the kidnapping of Maduro and his wife. I think most agree that Maduro is certainly on Santa’s naughty list; he is a dictator and vile person. However, I find it downright scary that Poilievre condones such a blatant, illegal invasion.
There was a recent post on Facebook from the U.S. that said something like this: perhaps Venezuela could reciprocate and kidnap Trump.
Hugh puts his finger on the real issue here, which isn’t Maduro himself but the precedent being set. You can condemn a despot and still be deeply concerned about how power is exercised once law is discarded.
Canada’s security has never rested on force alone. It has rested on rules, alliances, and the idea that sovereignty isn’t optional when it’s inconvenient. When those norms erode, countries like Canada — resource-rich, adjacent to great powers, dependent on law rather than might — are the first to feel it.
That’s why restraint, multilateralism, and rebuilding credibility matter right now. Not because they’re naïve, but because the alternatives are far more costly and far more dangerous.
Excellent commentary Hugh. Yesterday I talked with a family member who worked as a Chief of Staff for Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister and has for 25 years been a senior judge in the Ontario Criminal Court system. While most people realise that Maduro was an authoritarian, probably aligned with drug cartels and more BUT the U.S. does not have any authority to enter a sovereign country, pluck out the leader, cause death and destruction as a result of their military attack. He suggested that in any other country than the arrogant U.S. it would be known that Madura’s defense (in U.S. courts) that do not have any jurisdiction in affairs of Venezuelan. Again Maduro is not a good dude as Hugh says, but it is unthinkable for this illegal action taken by the U.S. So if Canada resists compliance with trade issues into the future, this precedence means that they would have no restraint to capture our Prime Minister.. American leadership has become more untrusted globally.
100% Hugh.
In the words of one of the American architects of the illegal Iraq War: “If you break it, you own it.” The US now owns Venezuela’s future – for better or worse – and if history teaches us anything, it will be for the worse.
The attack on Venezuela is not about removing a rogue leader but represents a direct assault on international law and the UN-based rules order. The Trump regime has repeatedly undermined global institutions by attacking the International Criminal Court, betraying Ukraine, threatening allies, and now using unilateral force without UN – or even their own Congress’s – authorization.
Unlike past U.S. interventions that at least attempted legal or multilateral justification, this approach openly rejects international norms, treating blockades, killings at sea, and seizures of ships as acceptable tools of power. As Charlie Angus says, ‘This erosion of global legal restraints puts all nations, including Canada, on notice and demands renewed alliances and readiness to defend the rule of law.’ (paraphrased)
Nicolás Maduro is reprehensible and deserving of prosecution in The Hague, but that does not justify a self-styled “peace president” ordering the bombing of Caracas and kidnapping of Maduro. That kind of action sets a dangerous precedent. If Russia can do it in Ukraine and the United States can do it in Venezuela, what exactly stops other major powers like China from claiming the same right to use force in places such as Taiwan?
And unless the world speaks out against it with one voice, what keeps this despicable U.S. administration from licking its chops and greedily eyeing its neighbour to the north….and to the south?
Over the years I have generally agreed with Hugh on most of his editorials but he seems to have taken a flight of fancy. I would like to see how otherwise he would have arrested the dictator that has caused some 6,000,000 people to flee the country. Trimphas my support
People wil and must contine to question and not accept the decisions made by those in power; I believe. We must or We are doomed. The tragic reality is; as illustrated in the article, those checks and balances on rogue power are ineffective or unwilling to take on the 47th president or other countries who act in a similar fashion.
How do you stop a self serving, convicted felon who appears bent on global domination and self grandization?
Spot on, Hugh! Canada’s ‘Hour of Decision’ is fast approaching!
As we watched Trump break international law, usurp his own country’s laws, you might ask who is next to be invaded?
Imagine USA bombing Ottawa airport, troops on the ground, kidnapping PM Carney, his wife, charging them with acting against “American interests”.
Imagine that Trump thinks that Canada’s oil belongs to the USA because a USA company invested in it, refined it.
Imagine that Trump thinks the Great Lakes , the great rivers of the West waters belong to the USA because the waters flow to the South.
So go his reasons for anything he wants.
Let’s straighten out our thinking and act to repudiate Trump/ism, the Monroe Doctrine, the invasion of any sovereign country.
Indeed Hugh, concerning times ahead. The precedent Trump has just set is a bad omen for resource-rich countries, Canada included.
My fear is this. Trump made it quite clear he wants Venezuelan oil, home to the worlds largest proven reserves, mostly in heavy oil, similar to our own oilsands crude. But the costs to replace and expand the decaying Venezuelan industry infrastructure is huge and would easily take over a decade to do. Add on to that the instability of the country and you get a high risk environment for any oil major considering investments. Ongoing US military power to ensure security of US investments and manpower is a high risk play, at best.
By comparison, Canadian oil looks far more attractive, and our reserves are very large too. They currenty get over 95% of all our oil and gas exports, and at a big discount to world prices. If Canada is successful in expanding our global energy footprint, as we should, and if it is, or perceived to be, at the expense of US interests/exports, what might Trump do? Congress has proven to be useless so far to reel him in. Ditto for the US courts.
This is a dangerous time, and with US trade negotiations looming, any missteps could be very bad for our country. Canadians need to stay united, and politicians need to be laser focused and work together (for a change).The stakes just went way up.
Department of War indeed.
Hugh, I’ve been thinking about this all day and, unfortunately, came to the same “doomsday” conclusions. For all intents and purposes, Trump has transgressed, and gotten away with, absconding the leader of a sovereign country. I think “plundering” is the best word to describe Trump’s future piracy of Venezuelan oil (with the excuse that the US was ripped off years ago when Venezuela took over it’s oil production off shore). My question is: who’s next? Greenland..Canada? PM Carney is brilliant in his response: stay calm, stay diplomatic, make nice. I really think it’s the only way forward while we build up our own defences. At the very least, it’s going to be interesting.