Nicolás Maduro ran one of the world’s most repulsive regimes for 13 years, building on the corrupt inheritance of his predecessor Hugo Chavez to send Venezuela hurtling down the road to ruin. He preached socialism while pillaging state coffers, intimidating foes, stealing elections, impoverishing his people, inflicting hunger and sparking the world’s worst displacement crisis.

At least seven million citizens fled abroad as his country – seen as the envy of Latin America with oil-based prosperity and stability when I visited three decades ago – fell apart. He was propped up by ugly autocracies in Beijing, Havana, Moscow and Tehran engaged in a global fight against democracy and freedom. And he laundered cash for lethal terrorist groups.

Maduro was, in short, a monster. A stain on humanity. No decent person should shed tears at the demise of his gruesome dictatorship. Yet however abhorrent his behaviour, however pleasing to see this thieving thug in handcuffs, it does not excuse his abduction by the United States.

President Donald Trump’s decision to send his armed forces into a sovereign nation to oust its tyrannical leader smacks of performative populist politics. His assault lacks coherent........

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