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Canada almost had a good week in the realm of foreign policy. Almost.

To start with the good news, Canada has done the right thing by aligning itself with the U.S., France and other democratic countries in recognizing the head of Venezuela’s opposition as the rightful leader of that imprisoned nation. A proper recounting of the crimes of putative president Nicholás Maduro would take up this entire space; adding those of his predecessor, the thuggish Hugo Chavez, would take just as long. Suffice it to say that under their rule, Venezuela, a country rich in natural resources and human capital, has been brought to economic ruin and the brink of societal collapse by a classically inept, hard-line socialist government. And as the country’s economy predictably imploded, the corrupt gangster government in Caracas has pursued ever more draconian measures to maintain its grip on power.

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The situation is grim. Basic staple foods are now in chronic short supply. The population is malnourished. When public utilities operate, it’s for just hours a day even in major cities. Venezuela’s health-care system wants for even basic supplies. The army has used violent force to suppress entirely justified public protests, and the government has increasingly relied on Cuba, Iran, China and other autocratic regimes for support as its international standing evaporates and its currency inflates out of meaningful existence. Maduro has rammed through a series of legislative changes to neuter the country’s democratic institutions, leaving the military the only real broker of power — a military he commands.