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Within the considerable disarray following the US strikes on Venezuela, the seizure of President Nicolás Maduro, and Donald Trump's announcement that the US will “manage” the country and “reclaim the petroleum resources”, one thing is clear – these actions create a profoundly disturbing precedent.

A Dark Legacy and an Unprecedented Move

The United States possesses a dark record of interference, invasion and occupation in the region, but the recent overnight operation marked its premier large-scale offensive on South American land. “American dominance in the western hemisphere will never be questioned again,” Trump proclaimed.

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, commonly thought to have stolen the last election. They now face extreme instability in the best case. Mr Trump has suggested that the vice president, Delcy Rodríguez would follow US instructions, and rejected conservative dissident leader and Nobel prize-winner María Corina Machado as a plausible replacement.

However, Ms Rodríguez, now the temporary head of state, has so far struck a defiant tone – and other parts of the headless administration are far more intransigent.

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 fails to perceive the world’s superpower as a guardian of order; he is converting it into a rogue state.

He believes that the US’s might allows it to do as it wishes with scant penalty: witness the strikes on Nigeria, on Iran’s nuclear facilities. He asserts that control of Venezuela's petroleum means this new undertaking “will be financially free”.

A Move Devoid of International Legitimacy

George W. Bush invaded Iraq on a lie. But this unlawful assault came absent any United Nations mandate or authorization from lawmakers; Democrats were not even informed and say they were deliberately deceived in briefings. Mr Trump doesn’t seek to bend international norms, but to obliterate them.

Disregard the signal this transmits to leaders in Moscow, Beijing, and beyond, and ask where the US itself is heading. While the raid reportedly killed 40 Venezuelans, including civilians, not a single US soldier was lost. Mr Trump’s growing sense of invincibility will likely encourage additional military gambits.

The Stated Reason Versus the Real Aims

No one buys the justification that this is related to the drug trade. Venezuela is only a small transit route for cocaine; Mr Trump recently granted clemency to the former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández for related criminal convictions. Mr Trump himself has been explicit that he is propelled by the allure of petroleum resources as well as machismo, the ideology of some in his administration, and the quest for a legacy as his support at home declines.

World Leaders' Silence and a Weakened UN

The international response, especially in Europe, has – with honourable exceptions – been alarmingly quiet. That’s not due to Mr Maduro’s sins, but fear of 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 yet press him to turn attention back home – but soaring healthcare premiums, financial discontent and other domestic scandals make foreign conflicts more appealing.

It has been less than 12 months into his four-year term. Other governments may live to repent if they remain quiet at this juncture, given what – and who – could be next.