A military coup in Venezuela could pave the way to democracy – or to a Russian or Chinese protectorate

Nicolás Maduro

Trump administration officials have made thinly veiled calls for a military coup that would topple the Venezuelan dictatorship and pave the way for democracy.

But some well-respected academics are warning that a military coup would more likely produce a Russia or China-backed anti-American dictatorship.

Evan Ellis, a Latin America expert with the U.S. Army War College’s Strategic Studies Institute, and Brian Fonseca, a professor at Florida International University who has written extensively about the Venezuelan military, are among those who believe that a military coup in Venezuela would probably lead to a pro-Russian or pro-China regime, rather than to a pro-American one.