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Within the widespread uncertainty following the US strikes on Venezuela, the apprehension of President Nicolás Maduro, and statements from Trump that the US will “run” the country and “seize control of the oil”, one thing is clear – these actions create a truly chilling precedent.

A Dark Legacy and an Unprecedented Move

The United States possesses a dark record of interference, invasion and occupation in the region, but this past Saturday morning witnessed its first major military attack on South American land. “The preeminence of America in this region is now beyond dispute,” Mr Trump declared.

The decision to unilaterally attack another independent nation and seize its president – just a short time after he openly looked for a diplomatic solution – has still wider repercussions. It should alarm us all.

A Nation Left in Limbo

Venezuelans have lived through a dictatorship marked by theft and failure under Mr Maduro, largely considered to have rigged the previous presidential vote. They now face extreme instability in the best case. Mr Trump has remarked that Maduro's second-in-command, Delcy Rodríguez would do as the US says, and brushed aside rightwing opposition leader and Nobel prize-winner María Corina Machado as a plausible replacement.

However, Ms Rodríguez, now the acting leader, has so far sounded notes of defiance – and other parts of the leadership-stricken government are even more hardline.

The Superpower as Rogue State

A man who won power promising to abandon foreign wars now says he is “unconcerned about deploying troops”. Renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War was a substantive signal. He fails to perceive the world’s superpower as a global policeman; he is transforming it into a renegade nation.

He believes that the United States' strength enables it to do as it wishes with minimal cost: consider the attacks in Nigeria and against Iranian nuclear sites. He promises that Venezuelan oil means this latest episode “will pay for itself”.

An Attack Without Legal Justification

George W. Bush initiated war in Iraq on a lie. But this illegal attack came absent any United Nations mandate or the consent of the US Congress; Democrats were not even informed and say they were deliberately deceived in briefings. Mr Trump is not trying to twist international norms, but to destroy them.

Set aside the signal this transmits to global powers like Russia and China, and question the future path of the United States. While the raid allegedly resulted in the deaths of 40 Venezuelans, including civilians, there were no American fatalities. Mr Trump’s increasing belief in his impunity will almost certainly fuel further adventurism.

The Stated Reason Versus the Real Aims

No one buys the excuse that this is concerning narcotics. Venezuela is only a minor conduit for cocaine; Mr Trump recently granted clemency to the ex-leader of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernández for related criminal convictions. Mr Trump himself has stated plainly that he is motivated by the promise of energy wealth as well as personal bravado, the worldview of key officials, and the appetite for triumphalism as his standing with the American public falters.

World Leaders' Silence and a Weakened UN

The international response, especially in Europe, has – with notable outliers – been alarmingly quiet. 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 commendable, but this episode underscores the waning power of international bodies.

Mr Trump’s anti-interventionist domestic base could still pressure him to redirect his gaze inward – but rising medical costs, public anxiety over the economy and distracting files make foreign conflicts more appealing.

We are not yet 12 months into his presidential term. The international community may live to repent if they remain quiet at this juncture, with the question of which nation is next looming.