Former Canadian prime minister Jean Chretien took an apparent shot at Donald Trump, when he said Tuesday that the countries of the Americas should 鈥渃ontinue to build stronger bonds 鈥� not walls.鈥�

Chretien made the comment during a speech in Washington, D.C, at a meeting marking the 15th anniversary of the Organization of American States鈥� Democracy Charter.

He switched from French to English when he made the apparent reference to the Republican nominee鈥檚 proposal to build a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico. He also repeated it in Spanish.

CTV鈥檚 Richard Madan later asked Chretien what he meant by his comment. The former prime minister responded: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 like walls. It鈥檚 as simple as that.鈥�

Chretien also said during his speech that although the Americas have successfully addressed many democratic challenges since partnering 15 years ago, 鈥渢here is no room for complacency.鈥�

鈥淒emocracy is never a given,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have to work hard to maintain and nurture it. As we look ahead to the common challenges we face let us bear in mind that the defence of democracy requires vigilance at all times, in all countries鈥︹��

Chretien joins former Progressive Conservative prime ministers Kim Campbell and Brian Mulroney in breaking with tradition and criticizing a U.S. presidential nominee.

Mulroney told earlier this year that Trump鈥檚 vow to rip up the North American Free Trade Agreement and limit immigration would be disastrous for North America鈥檚 economy.

Campbell has frequently criticized Trump鈥檚 proposals on Twitter, where she has called him everything from a 鈥渢hin-skinned weenie鈥� to the 鈥渄efinition of 鈥榮cuzzbag.鈥�

Despite the criticism, Chretien and Trump have at least one thing in common: Chretien promised during the 1993 election campaign that he would renegotiate NAFTA.

With files from CTV Washington Bureau Correspondent Richard Madan