January 6, 2026 l Dalena Reporters
OTTAWA — As the United States carries out an unprecedented military operation in Venezuela that saw the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and renewed global debate over hemispheric power, Canada’s former ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae, has issued a stark warning that President *Donald Trump’s foreign policy may not stop in Latin America — placing Canada itself “on the menu.” Experts and former officials allege the Trump administration’s approach reflects a broader strategic vision of U.S. dominance across the Western Hemisphere with potential implications for Canadian sovereignty and security.
In an interview with Global News, Rae — who completed his five-year UN posting in late 2025 said recent U.S. policy signals a rejection of multilateral norms in favour of assertive unilateralism. “We’re basically being told by the Americans, ‘We will do whatever we can get away with, and who’s going to stop us?’ which is a license to take over any country that they feel is getting in their way,” Rae said, cautioning that Canada cannot assume it is immune simply because it has not yet been explicitly targeted.
Rae’s comments follow swift global reaction to the U.S. raid in Caracas, which has been interpreted in various capitals as a revival of hemispheric intervention doctrines reminiscent of the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine. The U.S. government’s new national security strategy appears to place renewed importance on asserting American pre-eminence across the hemisphere, a framework that critics say risks undermining sovereignty and international law.
Under the strategy, dubbed by analysts the “Donroe Doctrine,” the United States positions itself as the primary arbiter of political outcomes in neighbouring states, leveraging military force and economic pressure to shape the region’s geopolitical landscape. Although discussions about Canada being turned into a U.S. state remain in the realm of metaphor, Rae cautioned against dismissing the aggressive posture as rhetoric alone. “If you don’t think we’re on the menu just because he hasn’t mentioned the words ‘51st state,’ I think that’s really missing the boat,” Rae told Global News.
The concerns articulated by Rae resonate with other voices in Canadian policy circles. Former Quebec premier Jean Charest has warned that the Venezuelan operation underscores the need for Canada to reduce economic and military dependence on the United States to safeguard its autonomy and resources. Charest said Ottawa must act with urgency to diversify strategic partnerships in light of the U.S. strategy’s overt emphasis on dominance in the Americas.
Meanwhile, foreign policy experts stress that Canada should engage with other Western Hemisphere nations to collectively address what they view as a dramatic shift in U.S. conduct. Some analysts argue that Ottawa’s response to the Maduro ouster should include stronger diplomatic coordination with regional partners who feel similarly threatened by the Trump administration’s actions.
Domestically, the situation has sparked debate over Canada’s positioning. Ottawa has reiterated its commitment to respecting international law and the democratic aspirations of the Venezuelan people, without endorsing the legality of the U.S. operation, a stance reaffirmed by Foreign Affairs officials who emphasise rule-based norms.
As global scrutiny deepens, Rae’s warnings and the broader policy discourse they reflect highlight mounting unease in Ottawa and allied capitals about American strategic ambitions and their potential ramifications for regional stability, Canadian sovereignty, and the future of hemispheric diplomacy.