Can the US ‘run’ Venezuela? Military force can topple a dictator, but it cannot create political authority or legitimacy

By: Monica Duffy Toft, Tufts University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: January 5, 2026

Words: 1,525

Last Updated: 4 days, 23 hours ago

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By Monica Duffy Toft, Tufts University

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 …

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