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Against the backdrop of the considerable disarray following the US strikes on Venezuela, the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, and statements from Trump that the US will “control” the country and “take back the oil”, there is no doubt – these actions create a truly chilling precedent.

Past Interference and a New Threshold Crossed

The United States carries a troubling legacy of meddling, military incursions, and control in the region, but the recent overnight operation marked its initial significant armed assault on South American land. “American dominance in the western hemisphere will never be questioned again,” the President stated.

The move to assault another independent nation and abduct its leader – only a few days after he publicly sought an off-ramp – possesses far-reaching consequences. It should alarm us all.

A Nation Left in Limbo

Venezuelans have lived through a dictatorship marked by theft and failure under Mr Maduro, widely believed to have rigged the previous presidential vote. They now face a future of deep insecurity. Mr Trump has remarked that the vice president, Delcy Rodríguez would do as the US says, and rejected conservative dissident leader and Nobel prize-winner María Corina Machado as a plausible replacement.

However, Ms Rodríguez, now the interim president, has so far struck a defiant tone – and other elements of the decapitated regime are far more intransigent.

A Shift in Global Role

A man who won power vowing to end foreign wars now says he is “not afraid of boots on the ground”. Renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War was a substantive signal. He no longer views the world’s superpower as a global policeman; he is transforming it into a lawless actor.

He holds the view that the America's power permits it to do as it wishes with little consequence: witness the military actions against Nigeria and Iranian installations. He asserts that Venezuelan oil means this most recent venture “will pay for itself”.

An Illegal Assault on Sovereignty

George W. Bush launched the invasion of Iraq on a lie. But this unlawful assault came absent any United Nations mandate or congressional approval; Democrats were not even informed and say they were given false information in briefings. Mr Trump aims not merely to stretch international norms, but to destroy them.

Put aside the implication this carries to leaders in Moscow, Beijing, and beyond, and ask where the US itself is heading. While the raid is said to have slain 40 Venezuelans, including civilians, not a single US soldier was lost. Mr Trump’s escalating feeling of being untouchable will surely embolden more reckless actions.

The Thin Pretext and True Motives

No one buys the excuse that this is about drugs. Venezuela is only a minor conduit for cocaine; Mr Trump recently pardoned the former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández for drugs and weapons crimes. Mr Trump himself made it clear that he is driven by the promise of energy wealth as well as personal bravado, the ideology of some in his administration, and the appetite for triumphalism as domestic popularity wanes.

Tepid International Response and Waning Global Governance

The worldwide reception, especially in Europe, has – with honourable exceptions – been surprisingly subdued. That’s not a result of Mr Maduro’s sins, but anxiety over Mr Trump’s wrath. The forceful statement from UN Secretary General António Guterres was welcome, but this episode emphasizes the institution’s growing irrelevance.

Mr Trump’s voters who oppose foreign entanglements could still pressure him to turn attention back home – but rising medical costs, public anxiety over the economy and distracting files make foreign conflicts more appealing.

Barely 12 months into his time in office. Other governments may regret it if they remain quiet at this juncture, given what – and who – could be next.