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Is Trump returning the world to an age of empires?

Is Trump returning the world to an age of empires?

Rana Mitter and Hannah Skoda explore the history of governance in South America – and whether President Trump and his administration are really making unprecedented moves on the world stage

Published: January 15, 2026 at 5:51 PM

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At the start of January, the United States government launched a military operation in Venezuela, capturing its president Nicolás Maduro and announcing that the US would run the nation until it deems that there can be "a proper and judicious transition”. Meanwhile, Donald Trump and figures around him have also made repeated suggestions that the US needs to claim Greenland for reasons of national security.

Following those events, historians Rana Mitter and Hannah Skoda explore the history of governance in South America – and whether President Trump and his administration are really making unprecedented moves on the world stage.