January 5, 2026 l Dalena Reporters
EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith asserted on January 5, 2026, that the recent U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro underscores the urgent need for Canada to expand oil export infrastructure, particularly a pipeline to the West Coast of British Columbia that would open access to Asian markets. Smith’s comments reflect broader provincial concerns about energy security and market diversification following the unprecedented geopolitical development.
In a statement issued Monday, Smith said the dramatic events in Venezuela where U.S. forces detained Maduro amid allegations about the country’s oil reserves have sent “political shock waves around the world” and highlighted vulnerabilities in global energy supply chains. She argued that those developments make clear the importance of diversifying Canada’s oil export routes beyond the United States.
Smith specifically pointed to a proposed pipeline to British Columbia’s West Coast, which she says would allow Alberta crude to reach markets in Asia, expanding Canada’s reach in the global energy market. The premier called on the federal government to act with “urgency” on the project, which could follow up on a memorandum of understanding signed in November 2025 between Alberta and federal officials outlining a framework for a potential Indigenous co-owned bitumen pipeline and environmental policy adjustments, including potential revisions to the B.C. tanker ban.
The 2025 agreement sets a target for aligning on an industrial carbon pricing plan by April 1 and a July 1 deadline for formally submitting the pipeline proposal to Ottawa’s Major Projects Office. Smith reiterated her government’s commitment to meeting those deadlines and pushing the application forward.
Smith’s remarks echo industry advocates and commentators who believe global energy market shifts intensified by geopolitical tensions such as the events in Venezuela bolster the case for new export infrastructure that would reduce Alberta’s reliance on American refineries and create new commercial opportunities abroad.
However, critics have previously argued that obstacles including environmental opposition, indigenous rights concerns, and regulatory hurdles in British Columbia may complicate the project’s advancement. Yet Smith maintained that diversifying Canada’s energy export pathways is a strategic imperative given global uncertainties.
The price of oil and shares of major Canadian energy producers reacted modestly to the geopolitical news, with some volatility observed in the TSX energy subindex following the statements. This market response added urgency to provincial calls for infrastructure that can navigate evolving demand and geopolitical risk.
Smith’s statement positions Alberta’s energy agenda at the intersection of domestic policy priorities and a shifting international landscape, where disruptions to traditional energy suppliers can have ripple effects on global markets and strategic planning.