US EditionCan the US ‘Run’ Venezuela? Military Force Doesn’t Equal Legitimacy
The U.S. justified Maduro's capture due to his authoritarian rule and Venezuela's collapse, but experts warn foreign governance risks regional instability and undermines sovereignty norms.
- On Jan. 3 and 4, U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, showing him blindfolded aboard a U.S. naval vessel; shortly after, President Donald Trump said the U.S. would "run" Venezuela until transition.
- Scholars of U.S. foreign policy say this reflects a longer trend toward kinetic diplomacy, noting in 2026 the United States allocates $28 to the Department of Defense for every dollar to the U.S. Department of State.
- Y.K. Sinha cautioned that the reported forcible removal of Maduro raises legal and legitimacy questions, while experts argue coerced governance tends to harden resistance and limit diplomacy.
- Diplomats warn that assuming governance will saddle the U.S. with responsibility for essential services and political legitimacy, while Sinha said the international community has responded cautiously on Jan 05, 2026.
- Experts warn the move risks repeating the post-intervention failures seen in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, while normalizing unilateral governance erodes Washington's credibility and empowers Beijing and Moscow.
20 Articles
20 Articles
Back to the days of colonialism and gunboat diplomacy: Former Ambassador to Venezuela Y.K. Sinha
"It's quite astounding that the U.S. wants to run a country after they have failed in so many other countries," Sinha said, recalling Iraq and Afghanistan as cautionary examples. "Recent history shows that any power that tries to occupy or run another country... there are always going to be problems."
Did a 2007 political cartoon quietly signal the US action in Venezuela? Why the image is going viral after Maduro’s arrest
Trending News: A political cartoon that dates back nearly two decades has surprisingly been thrust back into the spotlight following its apparent prediction of a rec.
End of one dictator but not beginning of democracy in Venezuela: former Canadian ambassador
Canada's former ambassador to Venezuela, Ben Rowswell, talks about the United States hitting Venezuela with a large-scale strike and capturing its president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife.
The Conversation
Can the US ‘run’ Venezuela? Military force can topple a dictator, but it cannot create political authority or legitimacy
Supporters of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro gather during a demonstration in Caracas on Jan, 4, 2026. Pedro Mattey/Anadolu via Getty ImagesAn 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 Un…
Few are mourning the fall of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, but the US's approach to his ouster could have unpleasant aftershocks for small countries.
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu: No Country's Fate Can Be Determined According to Washington's Energy Parameters.
CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, commenting on the US military intervention in Venezuela, stated, "The fate of no country can be determined according to Washington's energy parameters."
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 54% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
