The first days of 2026 have delivered a stark and violent confirmation of the world's worst fears. In overnight military strikes, the United States attacked Venezuela and abducted its leader, Nicolás Maduro, along with his wife, driving what one analyst calls a "truck" through the already fragile framework of international law.
The Bulldozing of Global Norms
For nearly a year since taking office, Donald Trump has been systematically dismantling global norms, an approach described as driving "convoys of bulldozers" through international law. The action in Venezuela did not occur in isolation. It was preceded by a series of aggressive moves, including airstrikes on boats off Central America and the armed seizure of Venezuelan oil tankers on the high seas, all justified by unproven allegations of drug trafficking.
From the perspective of global stability, the most alarming aspect of the Maduro rendition is its success. Trump's long-held desire for foreign territory and resources, particularly Venezuela's vast oil reserves, appears to have overtaken his previous fear of foreign military entanglements. His recent thirst for a Nobel Peace Prize now seems eclipsed by the "glimmering" allure of natural wealth and military triumph.
A Legal Vacuum and Ominous Precedents
While the Trump administration has framed the operation as bringing Maduro to justice for US indictments on corruption and drug charges, most experts view the specific allegations as flimsy. They provide unconvincing legal grounds for an attack and abduction under either international or US law. Trump himself has repeatedly signalled his primary motivation is Venezuela's oil, not democratic principles.
This act finds precedent in past US actions, such as the 1990 invasion of Panama and the 2003 Iraq war. However, analysts argue Trump represents a qualitative shift. Where previous administrations made exceptions to the rules-based system, Trump exhibits complete disdain for it, viewing the world through a 19th-century imperialist lens but with 21st-century weaponry.
The Global Fallout: Spheres of Influence and Rising Anxiety
The immediate consequences are profound. Governments in Iran and Denmark, both recent targets of Trump's radical rhetoric, will view the Venezuela operation with acute anxiety. The event accelerates a global slide from a rules-based order to competing spheres of influence determined by armed might.
American commentator David Rothkopf has labelled this the "Putinization of US foreign policy". The move effectively signals that powerful nations can act with impunity in their perceived domains, a principle that leaders like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping are likely to note and emulate. The Danish defence intelligence service's recent declaration of the US as a security risk to a NATO ally underscores how radically the landscape has shifted.
For an ageing president facing domestic scandals and dwindling popularity, this embrace of military power marks an ominous turn. The world now watches to see how far the US will go in Venezuela and where, in this new era of shattered norms, the next target may lie.
