Exiled Iranians and Venezuelans may well support regime change – but diasporas don’t always reflect the politics back home

Diasporas are often treated by media and policymakers as monolithic blocs, but the reality is more complicated.

By: Michael Paarlberg, Virginia Commonwealth University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: February 12, 2026

Words: 1,420

Last Updated: 1 month ago

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By Michael Paarlberg, Virginia Commonwealth University

As protest and military action raised the prospect of regime change in Iran and Venezuela, the voices of both countries’ diasporas were heard loud and clear through the media of their host nations.

Venezuelan exiles in the U.S. were, according to the popular narrative, broadly behind President Donald Trump and his plan to “run Venezuela,” as the nickname “MAGAzuelans” suggests. Meanwhile, the Iranian diaspora rallied …

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