Nearly three years ago, on January 23, 2019, a little-known Venezuelan politician declared himself president during an outdoor rally in Caracas. Canada recognized Juan Guaidó that day. According to Bianca Mugyenyi, it’s time for Ottawa to re-evaluate its policy towards Venezuela, remove its sanctions, lay the Lima Group to rest, and stop recognizing Guaidó.

It is time to change Canadian policy towards a nation born in struggle to liberate Africans from slavery. The Canadian government must end its support for a repressive, corrupt Haitian president devoid of constitutional legitimacy. For the past two years Haitians have demonstrated their overwhelming opposition to Jovenel Moïse with massive protests and general strikes calling for his departure from office.

Despite its peaceful reputation, Canada is not acting as a benevolent player on the international stage. Rather, Canada ranks among the twelve largest arms exporters and its weapons have fueled conflicts across the globe, including the devastating war in Yemen. The international community should not reward bad behaviour. Please vote against Canada’s bid for a seat on the UN Security Council.