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ConflictsVenezuela

Expert: US politicians want to 'look like tough guys'

Michael Okwu
January 3, 2026

US-Venezuela tensions go back nearly three decades. But there are several new factors that the Trump administration is bringing to the conflict, that may have contributed to this US attack on Venezuela, says Scott Lucas, a professor at University College Dublin and expert on the Americas.

https://p.dw.com/p/56GdV

The United States confirmed a "large-scale strike" on the Venezuelan capital at around 2 a.m. on Saturday (7 a.m. CET).

The move follows months of threats by Donald Trump to order strikes on targets inside Venezuela, as his administration charged President Nicolas Maduro with narco-terrorism in the United States.

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