Already, the moment is sliding away. Once again, Nicolas Maduro has declared himself president after an obviously sham election in Venezuela. Once again, the only countries to accept the validity of the poll are Russia, Iran, China, Belarus, and the international delinquents.

In 2018, it briefly looked as if the country’s long nightmare was over. The free world refused to endorse Maduro’s sham election, instead recognizing as president the leader of Congress, Juan Guaidó, who was constitutionally next in line.