Donald Trump’s removal of Nicolas Maduro as leader of Venezuela is completely unprecedented.
America has found ways of getting rid of leaders it doesn’t like before but never quite like this.
Nation states do not send their armed forces into other sovereign nations to abduct their leader – least of all the United States, until recently the guardian of the rules-based world order.
US strikes Venezuela: Follow latest
The details are still murky but whatever you make of Nicolas Maduro, the manner of his removal seems at odds with the principles of international law.
He was undoubtedly a very bad ruler and by the end utterly illegitimate. He rigged elections, he ran Venezuela’s economy so badly that a quarter of its population fled.
He used repression to stay in power at whatever the cost as his kleptocratic rule robbed a resource-rich country.
Neighbouring countries will wring their hands while privately probably welcoming the end of Nicolas Maduro.
But America’s allies will worry where this leaves that rules-based world order.
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What we know so far
How did we get to this point?
There are some reports Maduro was handed over by his own security forces turned by relentless American pressure.
That may allow the Trump administration to present itself as enabling an internal change in power, but there is little doubt none of this would have happened without the build-up of American firepower and whatever else it was doing behind the scenes.
In the days and weeks ahead, the Trump administration will have to prove this episode does not open the door to more assaults on the principles of international law and that the ends justified the means.
And the US government will have to make it clear on what terms it intends to bring Maduro to justice.
Over the last year, America’s allies have been increasingly alarmed by the damage done by Donald Trump to international law and the world order.
They will also welcome the end of Nicolas Maduro – but will be uneasy about the way he’s been removed.
