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Amid the widespread uncertainty surrounding the US strikes on Venezuela, the seizure of leader Nicolás Maduro, and the declaration by Donald Trump that the US will “run” the country and “reclaim the petroleum resources”, there is no doubt – these actions create a deeply alarming precedent.

Past Interference and a New Threshold Crossed

The United States carries a troubling legacy of interference, invasion and occupation in Latin America, but the early hours of Saturday witnessed its initial significant armed assault on South American land. “The preeminence of America in this region is now beyond dispute,” the President stated.

The choice to militarily strike another independent nation and seize its president – just a short time after he publicly sought an off-ramp – has still wider repercussions. We all have reason to be worried.

Profound Uncertainty for Venezuela

Venezuelans have lived through a dictatorship marked by theft and failure under Mr Maduro, largely considered to have fraudulently won the most recent election. They now face profound uncertainty at best. Mr Trump has remarked that Mr Maduro’s deputy, Delcy Rodríguez would comply with American demands, and rejected prominent critic 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 leadership-stricken government 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 a substantive signal. He no longer views the world’s superpower as a global policeman; he is turning it into a renegade nation.

He holds the view that the United States' strength permits it to do as it wishes with little consequence: observe the strikes on Nigeria, on Iran’s nuclear facilities. He claims that control of Venezuela's petroleum means this new undertaking “will pay for itself”.

A Move Devoid of International Legitimacy

George W. Bush initiated war in Iraq on a lie. But this action without legal basis came absent any United Nations mandate or congressional approval; key legislators received no advance notice and say they were given false information in briefings. Mr Trump is not trying to twist international norms, but to obliterate them.

Disregard the message this sends to leaders in Moscow, Beijing, and beyond, and question the future path of the United States. 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

Few believe the justification that this is related to the drug trade. Venezuela is only a small transit route for cocaine; Mr Trump recently pardoned the past Honduran leader Juan Orlando Hernández for narcotics and arms offenses. Mr Trump himself has stated plainly that he is driven by the lure of oil as well as a desire to project strength, the worldview of key officials, and the appetite for triumphalism as domestic popularity wanes.

World Leaders' Silence and a Weakened UN

The global reaction, especially in Europe, has – with notable outliers – been shockingly muted. That’s not due to Mr Maduro’s sins, but trepidation regarding Mr Trump’s wrath. The forceful statement from UN Secretary General António Guterres was notable, but this episode underscores the waning power of international bodies.

Mr Trump’s voters who oppose foreign entanglements could still pressure him to focus on domestic issues once more – but escalating insurance prices, public anxiety over the economy and other domestic scandals increase his appetite for distraction.

It has been less than 12 months into his presidential term. The international community may come to rue the day if they fail to speak up today, considering the potential next target.