Responsible Statecraft, Jan 14, 2026 by Leah Schroeder (quotes Stephen Zunes)
Experts say the ‘easy’ Venezuela operation is reminiscent of George H.W. Bush’s 1989 invasion of Panama, which in part served to bury the ghosts of Vietnam
“Panama mattered because it showed the U.S. would continue intervention even after the Cold War,” said Stephen Zunes, professor of politics and Program Director for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of San Francisco. “Many people thought the end of communism meant the U.S. would become a good world citizen and stop violating international law. Panama showed the Cold War was more an excuse than the reason, and that the U.S. would continue as an imperial, interventionist power.”
But where Trump might scare away a cautious population is with impulsive comments in which he says the U.S. could “run” Venezuela for years. “What makes Venezuela more serious on certain levels is that this is not a one-and-done,” Zunes said.