FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, JAN. 7, 2026, VANCOUVER BC – Karin Kirkpatrick, Leader of CentreBC, issued a statement today condemning BC Conservative leader Trevor Halford for a social media post supporting US President Donald Trump’s lawless seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
In a Facebook post Halford stated, “We applaud the United States,” parroting Federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. Kirkpatrick warned that such blind partisanship ignores the dangerous precedent being set for Canadian sovereignty and international law.
“CentreBC stands for informed leadership – making decisions guided by evidence, transparency, and a deep understanding of the challenges facing our province and our country,” said Kirkpatrick. “By applauding the lawless kidnapping of a foreign head of state, BC Conservatives are embracing a volatile brand of politics that puts British Columbia’s future at risk.”
The seizure of President Maduro and his wife by US forces has been described by international experts as a rejection of multilateralism in favour of raw dominance, lacking “any notion of legality.” Experts, including Canada’s former ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae, warns that Trump’s revival of the Monroe Doctrine suggests that Canada itself is “on the menu” and could be downgraded from a sovereign neighbour to a “junior resource appendage” of the United States.
“When the BC Conservatives say they ‘applaud the United States’ in this act of aggression, they are supporting a strategy that undermines our future and our integrity,” Kirkpatrick continued. “At CentreBC, we believe in respect and collaboration. We cannot remain silent while our neighbours to the south claim that ‘this is OUR hemisphere’ and threaten the very sovereignty of nations like Canada.”
“Our priority is putting people first and politics back on track,” said Kirkpatrick. “British Columbians deserve a leader who understands that our prosperity and security depend on upholding international law, not someone who cheers on lawless aggression for a Facebook ‘like.’ Trump’s assault on Venezuela is a threat to our well-being and independence, and the Conservatives are too blind to see it.”
-30-
Karin Kirkpatrick is available for interviews. For more information contact:
MEDIA CONTACT
Scott Williams
CentreBC
604-356-7606
[email protected]
