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Against the backdrop of the widespread uncertainty regarding the American military actions on Venezuela, the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, and the declaration by Donald Trump that the US will “manage” the country and “take back the oil”, one thing is clear – they set a deeply alarming precedent.

A Dark Legacy and an Unprecedented Move

The United States has a grim history of meddling, military incursions, and control in Latin America, but the early hours of Saturday witnessed its first major military attack on the soil of a South American nation. “American dominance in the western hemisphere will never be questioned again,” Mr Trump declared.

The choice to militarily strike another sovereign country and seize its president – just a short time after he openly looked for a diplomatic solution – 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 fraudulently won the most recent election. They now face extreme instability in the best case. Mr Trump has suggested that Maduro's second-in-command, Delcy Rodríguez would comply with American demands, and rejected conservative dissident leader and Nobel prize-winner María Corina Machado as a viable alternative.

However, Ms Rodríguez, now the interim president, has so far adopted a posture of resistance – and other elements of the decapitated regime are even more hardline.

A Shift in Global Role

A man who was elected pledging to stop foreign wars now says he is “willing to put soldiers into combat”. Redesignating the Department of Defense as the Department of War was more than posturing. He does not see the world’s superpower as a international peacekeeper; he is converting it into a renegade nation.

He believes that the United States' strength allows it to do as it wishes with scant penalty: consider the attacks in Nigeria and against Iranian nuclear sites. He claims that Venezuelan oil means this most recent venture “won’t cost us a penny”.

A Move Devoid of International Legitimacy

George W. Bush launched the invasion of Iraq on a lie. But this unlawful assault came without UN resolutions of any kind or congressional approval; Democrats were not even informed and say they were deliberately deceived in briefings. Mr Trump is not trying to twist international norms, but to shatter them.

Put aside the signal this transmits to Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and others, and question the future path of the United States. While the raid reportedly killed 40 Venezuelans, including civilians, no US personnel died. Mr Trump’s growing sense of invincibility will surely embolden further adventurism.

The Thin Pretext and True Motives

No one buys the pretext that this is concerning narcotics. Venezuela is only a secondary pathway for cocaine; Mr Trump recently granted clemency to the ex-leader of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernández for drugs and weapons crimes. Mr Trump himself has been explicit that he is motivated by the allure of petroleum resources as well as machismo, the beliefs held by certain advisors, and the appetite for triumphalism as his support at home declines.

Tepid International Response and Waning Global Governance

The international response, especially in Europe, has – with notable outliers – been alarmingly quiet. That’s not because of Mr Maduro’s sins, but trepidation regarding Mr Trump’s wrath. The forceful statement from UN Secretary General António Guterres was commendable, but this episode highlights the UN's diminishing clout.

Mr Trump’s voters who oppose foreign entanglements could potentially force him to turn attention back home – but rising medical costs, economic unhappiness and other domestic scandals fuel his desire for external drama.

Barely 12 months into his time in office. World leaders may regret it if they remain quiet at this juncture, with the question of which nation is next looming.