For those who think about politics in terms of ideology and rigid categories, the extraordinary events in Venezuela pose an uncomfortable question: what is the morally correct position to take in a drama this complex?

Some celebrate Nicolás Maduro’s removal simply because he was a brutal dictator. They’re largely indifferent to the violation of international law that the U.S. committed to seize him (this is the majority view among Venezuelans).

Others, mostly focused on U.S. politics, couldn’t care less about Maduro but recoil at President Donald Trump’s deployment of military forces in South America on dubious grounds, without congressional approval and with the familiar whiff of yet another nation-building experiment. Radical leftists oppose the intervention on principle and, not coincidentally, mourn the disappearance of Maduro’s absurd socialist proclamations (these die-hard anti-imperialists seem to have multiplied in the Trump era).

Finally, a more cynical camp marvels at the stark U.S. display of power while feeling no obligation to clean up the mess Venezuela has become.

Not only defensible, but coherent

The hardest position to defend belongs to those who feel genuine gratitude that Maduro is finally facing consequences but also recognize that the U.S. cannot simply roam the globe abducting leaders the White House dislikes. In today’s polarized climate, holding both seemingly contradictory thoughts at once can feel agonizing. I’ve already had more than a few arguments with friends about this and they rarely end well. If you’ve followed the flood of commentary on Venezuela in recent weeks, you’ve likely encountered compelling, rational arguments justifying both sides — just not at the same time.

But fear not. With a bit of perspective, this position is not only defensible; it is coherent.

It is entirely possible to support what the U.S. did in Maduro’s specific case while remaining deeply skeptical of similar interventions elsewhere and fully aware of Washington’s self-interest. And it is perfectly consistent to support the cause of a free and democratic Venezuela led by the U.S. without tying it to whatever one happens to think about Trump and his predatory foreign policy.

Some historical recap is necessary to explain this.

Hollowed out by Chavez’s socialist project

Venezuela isn’t just another troubled country; it is a tragedy on a scale Latin America hasn’t seen in generations. Not long ago one of the region’s richest nations, it was hollowed out by the Chavista socialist project. The economy collapsed, with GDP shrinking by nearly 80% since 2012, while its once-almighty oil industry fell apart. Such outcomes are typically associated with wars. An estimated 8 million Venezuelans fled the country. Thousands were jailed as an increasingly authoritarian government crushed dissent.

To buy political cover, Maduro granted privileged access to foreign powers, from Cuba to Iran, and cultivated ties with terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah, further destabilizing the region. Russia even built an ammunition plant in Venezuela to produce cartridges for Kalashnikov rifles. Chavistas were not particularly concerned about sovereignty back then.

Over the years, there were multiple attempts to correct course: mass protests that were brutally repressed, government-opposition dialogues, international mediation led by independent actors such as Norway and Qatar, economic and political sanctions and the ill-fated experiment of a parallel government under Juan Guaidó.

The last real chance for a peaceful transfer of power came with the 2024 election, which the opposition won convincingly, only for Maduro to brazenly steal it and proclaim victory without presenting any evidence. What followed was predictable: renewed repression, enabled by the complicity of allies and neighbors who never managed to unite around a viable solution. Still, Maduro was reportedly given many opportunities to negotiate a golden exile. He refused them all.

From that perspective, Trump’s extraction of the Venezuelan leader can be understood as a positive and even inevitable circuit breaker: an extraordinary act that disrupted the decaying status quo protecting the regime, forcing the country onto a different trajectory. When I visited Caracas in 2021, during a brief period of apparent entente between the regime and Washington, Chavismo seemed likely to cling to power for decades. That assessment no longer holds. This new experiment, with interim president Delcy Rodríguez taking orders from Washington, the CIA included, may still fail spectacularly. But it has opened a new era. And with political skill and strategic patience, Venezuela may finally move toward the democratic transition it has long been denied.

The political opening

The path I imagine hinges on Chavismo confronting its own fundamental contradiction: claiming to be anti-imperialist while acting as a U.S. government lapdog. Over time, internal cracks will likely widen, particularly within the military, the impenetrable force that has underpinned the regime and blocked the opposition. The political opening forced by Washington, combined with a degree of economic recovery, could realign incentives toward a new general election under the supervision of the U.S. and international organizations. In such a scenario, Chavismo would retain political representation, facing a reinvigorated opposition. If that happens, the forced removal of Maduro would not only be vindicated; it would have proved to be a progressive force for Venezuela and the region.

Before you press “send” on your hate mail, I am fully aware that much can go wrong, starting with a Trump administration that does not seem to have the discipline, or perhaps even the interest, to see this outcome through. Warnings on the risks of abandoning democratic efforts need to be heard; sooner rather than later, Venezuela will have to produce a framework for political transition, not least because constitutionally Rodríguez has only 180 days as interim president.

What to watch

The scorecard to watch in the coming months is the continued release of political prisoners, the return of opposition figures, the reconstitution of the National Electoral Council to include respected representatives and the establishment of a credible electoral roll. On the oil front, companies should be granted equal rights to invest, rather than privileging business figures linked to the regime, as recent hydrocarbon law changes appear to do.

Will all this happen? Time will tell, but everyone genuinely interested in a free Venezuela should press for it. True, the U.S. seizure of Maduro violated international law, but you can’t unring that bell. And there is no moral contradiction between welcoming Maduro’s capture and acknowledging its contravention of international rules.

Polls suggest that this is precisely how most Latin Americans see the situation, sharply at odds with perceptions in the U.S. For all the brainy academic debate and political calculations, a simple but powerful vox pop quote in a New York Times story summarizes the appropriate position on the event: “I am happy because I saw the fall of a dictator, and I am happy because my Venezuelan friends are happy.”

Temporary compromises

I am sure that no decent Venezuelan wanted to reach this point. I wish this conflict could have been resolved using one of the many Latin American institutional tools designed for such crises. That didn’t happen, not least because of the cynical fecklessness of regional powers. If the path to normalization requires temporary compromises like tolerating Rodríguez as interim president or María Corina Machado having to swallow her pride, so be it. Perfect options for Venezuela disappeared a long time ago.

JP Spinetto is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Latin American business, economic affairs and politics. He was previously Bloomberg News’ managing editor for economics and government in the region.

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Today is Sunday, Feb. 1, the 32nd day of 2026. There are 333 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Feb. 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia broke apart as it re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere, killing all seven crew members: commander Rick Husband; pilot William McCool; payload commander Michael Anderson; mission specialists Kalpana Chawla, David Brown and Laurel Clark; and payload specialist Ilan Ramon.

Also on this date:

In 1865, abolitionist John S. Rock became the first Black lawyer admitted to the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court.

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In 1943, during World War II, one of America’s most highly decorated military units, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, made up almost exclusively of Japanese Americans, was activated.

In 1960, four Black college students began a sit-in protest at a Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, where they had been refused service.

In 1979, Iranian religious leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (hoh-MAY’-nee) was welcomed home by millions in Tehran as he ended nearly 15 years of exile.

In 1991, an arriving USAir jetliner crashed atop a commuter plane on a runway at Los Angeles International Airport, resulting in 35 deaths.

In 1994, Jeff Gillooly, Tonya Harding’s ex-husband, pleaded guilty in Portland, Oregon, to racketeering for his part in the attack on figure skater Nancy Kerrigan in exchange for a 24-month sentence and a $100,000 fine.

In 2002, Wall Street Journal journalist Daniel Pearl was killed by Islamist militants in Pakistan after being kidnapped nine days earlier.

In 2016, the World Health Organization declared a global emergency over the explosive spread of the Zika virus, which was linked to birth defects in the Americas.

In 2021, the army in Myanmar overthrew the elected government of the Southeast Asian country. (Armed resistance arose after the army used lethal force to crush nonviolent protests against its takeover, and an ensuing civil war left more than 3.6 million people displaced in the country, according to the U.N.)

Today’s birthdays:

Actor Garrett Morris is 89.
Political commentator Fred Barnes is 83.
Princess Stephanie of Monaco is 61.
Actor Sherilyn Fenn is 61.
U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer Michelle Akers is 60.
Comedian-actor Pauly Shore is 58.
Actor Michael C. Hall is 55.
Rapper Big Boi (Outkast) is 51.
Singer-songwriter Jason Isbell is 47.
TV personality Lauren Conrad is 40.
Mixed martial artist Ronda Rousey is 39.
Actor Julia Garner is 32.
Singer-actor Harry Styles is 32.
Singer Jessica Baio is 24.

The way they structure the NHL playoffs, if the Oilers see Minnesota again, it would not be until the second round of the postseason, sometime in May. And for most Edmonton fans, that would be absolutely fine.

Fourth-line reserve Tyler Pitlick wasn’t even supposed to play on Saturday, added to the Wild line chart just minutes before the game as an illness replacement. When the former Centennial High School standout scored Minnesota’s sixth goal, on the way to a 7-3 blowout in Edmonton, it was as sure a sign as any that everything was clicking for for the visitors on this night.

In all, 15 members of the Wild got a mention on the score sheet – including goalie Jesper Wallstedt, who had a first period assist – as Minnesota swept its season series with Edmonton, which has represented the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Final the previous two seasons.

“We talk about being a good team and I thought all four lines, I thought all six D contributed and our goaltender played well and that’s what we needed against this team is to have a good team game,” Wild coach John Hynes said. “I think it’s good to see us be able to get some scoring throughout the lineup. That always give you a competitive advantage.”

Wallstedt finished with 40 saves in the win, while usual suspects like Joel Eriksson Ek, Kirill Kaprizov, Quinn Hughes, Mats Zuccarello, Brock Faber and Vladimir Tarasenko scored for the Wild, who are now on a 6-1-1 run with two games to play before the Olympic break.

Wallstedt, who blanked the Oilers in Edmonton in their first meeting of the season, got a notable test less than 90 seconds into the game when a long pass sprung star forward Connor McDavid on a breakaway. The Wild goalie stuffed McDavid’s shot and got a stoppage.

The reprieve was short-lived, as the Oilers took an early lead when star forward Leon Draisaitl got ahold of a Minnesota turnover and scored his 27th goal of the season. But Minnesota answered on the game’s first power play, when Eriksson Ek got behind the Oilers defense. The breakaway goal was his third in the past four games.

After the Oilers grabbed the lead back, Wallstedt was run over in the crease, and the Wild tied the game 2-2 when Kaprizov answered almost immediately on the ensuing power play. It was the 30th goal of the season for Kaprizov, giving him 30 or more goals in four of his six NHL seasons.

“Special teams was huge tonight. We battled through their pushes and took advantage of our opportunities,” said Faber, who now has a career-best 12 goals this season. “Wally was great. Overall I thought it was a pretty good game for us.”

Minnesota took complete control of the game in the second, scoring three to case the Oilers’ starting goalie and take a 5-2 lead into the final period.

Zuccarello’s goal off a faceoff play in the opening minute of the middle frame gave the Wild their first lead. That was followed by Hughes chasing his own shot that went wide of the net and banking it off the goalie. It was Hughes’ fifth goal of the season, and his third since the December trade that brought him to Minnesota.

When Tarasenko banked a shot off the far post and in, that was all for Oilers’ starter Tristan Jarry, who was lifted after 15 saves on 20 shots. Connor Ingram finished the second period without facing a shot, and had seven saves in the third, as Edmonton’s season-long three-game win streak was halted as their NHL-best power play was thwarted twice. Wallstedt credited his teammates with getting in the way of several pucks.

“They do a great job boxing out, letting me see shots and blocking shots as well there,” Wallstedt said after improving to 14-5-4 this season. “We’re a team. It’s a team success and and great to get a big win tonight.”

The Wild host Montreal on Monday, in their final pre-Olympics home game.

Briefly

Wild center Nico Sturm was a late scratch on Saturday due to illness. Pitlick took his spot on the fourth line along with Vinnie Hinostroza and Marcus Foligno. Sturm, who missed October and most of November with an injury, has three goals and six assists in 33 games for the Wild this season.

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The kids deserve a treat right now. All of the tension and trauma that’s been brought to the Twin Cities by federal agents has had an especially harsh impact on the area’s children.

School schedules have been erratic since the killing of Renee Good, kids of color have been caught up in the sweeps, and – try as their parents might to shelter them – children can certainly sense the conflict that permeates the urban atmosphere.

This might be the ideal time to take some young ones to Children’s Theatre Company’s production of “Go, Dog. Go!” or “Ve Perro Ve!” It provides a comical escape from our current difficulties, one that’s especially appropriate for those aged in the single digits. But the adults who accompany them may also benefit from the unrelenting silliness. It’s basically 80 minutes of constant clowning with the extra benefit of teaching the kids some rudimentary Spanish.

If you’re familiar with P.D. Eastman’s 1961 book, you know it to be a slight one, dropping young readers into brief vignettes involving anthropomorphized canines riding in race cars, working on a construction project and partying in trees, among other adventures.

In this ultra-playful adaptation by Allison Gregory and Steven Dietz, physical humor is the point of the project, and CTC’s six actors and two musicians throw themselves into the challenge with impressive enthusiasm and unflagging energy. Serving as alpha dog is Kimberly Richardson, who’s proven herself on multiple area stages to be a performer with her own unique brand of eccentric physicality. It’s seldom been employed to such delightful comic effect as here, be she working the crowd pre-curtain, pirouetting about on one roller skate or tap dancing on bubble wrap.

Kimberly Richardson, from left, Julia Diaz, Zachary David Hodgkins and Cooper Lajeunesse in Children’s Theatre Company’s production of “Go Dog Go! Ve Perro Ve!,” a bilingual adaptation of P.D. Eastman’s children’s book, in which dogs drive, swim, play baseball and race to a big dog party. The show runs through Feb. 22, 2026 at the Minneapolis theater. (Kaitlin Randolph / Children’s Theatre Company)

Yet this is truly an ensemble show, in which each performer has multiple opportunities to shine, executing some splendidly silly bits together, such as delivering CPR to a sandwich or convincingly channeling their inner tots during some post-bedtime horseplay. Director Juliette Carrillo displays a strong feel for dynamic contrast, the pace ebbing and flowing in engaging fashion, as when a placid interlude of shadow puppetry gives way to a road rally.

It’s all served well by the imaginative music of (mostly) Michael Koerner, delivered onstage by the duo of accordionist Victor Zupanc and guitarist Joe Cruz. I say “mostly,” because there are enjoyable interpolations of “The Girl from Ipanema,” “Besame Mucho” and “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” often employed to shift the mood abruptly for maximum laughs. And the book’s recurring question of “Do You Like My Hat?” is resolved in a propulsive merengue spearheaded by Eric Romero.

The scenic design of Sara Ryung Clement and the lights of Paul Whitaker bring Eastman’s illustrations to vibrant life, as do the boldly colored costumes of Danielle Nieves. They employ one clever idea after another, such as having the racing dogs’ scarves starched into windblown horizontal position.

Be prepared that this show breaks the fourth wall, with performers combing the crowd and tossing balloons about. And expect to participate as a student of Spanish, identifying objects and colors as if in a beginner’s class. In that regard, “Go, Dog. Go!” – or “Ve Perro Ve!” – adds a little education to a very entertaining theatrical respite.

‘Go, Dog. Go! Ve Perro Ve!’

When: Through Feb. 22

Where: Children’s Theatre Company, 2400 Third Ave. S., Mpls.

Tickets: $99-$25, available at 612-874-0400 or childrenstheatre.org

Capsule: Kids will likely love these comical canines.

Rob Hubbard can be reached at wordhub@yahoo.com.

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