Can the US ‘run’ Venezuela? Force can topple a dictator, but it can’t create political legitimacy

By: Monica Duffy Toft

Outlets: Nevada Current

Published: January 6, 2026

Words: 1,402

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 5 days ago

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An image circulated over media the weekend of Jan. 3 and 4 was meant to convey dominance: Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, blindfolded and handcuffed aboard a U.S. naval vessel. Shortly after the operation that seized Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, President Donald Trump announced that the United States would now “run” Venezuela until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” could be arranged.

The Trump administration’s move is not an aberration; it reflects …

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