Supporters of Nicolás Maduro burn a US flag on January 3, 2026, in Caracas, Venezuela. | Jesus Vargas/Getty Images
Over the weekend, the United States invaded Venezuela, captured its leader, and then declared itself to be in charge of South America’s fifth-largest country.
And no one — not even the US government — seems entirely sure why.
The Trump administration has offered multiple high-minded explanations for its toppling of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, none of which make much sense.
Vice President JD Vance suggested, for example, that the operation was about bringing d...
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