The recent operation to seize Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces shocked the world. Regardless of those who reacted ideologically for or against it, the mere fact that it happened is extremely serious, and it may be remembered as the first of many.

It is no secret that the United States carries out actions wherever its interests lie and shows little hesitation in “getting its hands dirty,” overriding international conventions and rules, and above all, violating other countries’ sovereignty. Anyone who thinks this happens only to smaller or weaker states is mistaken.

It is also no secret that the world is undergoing a profound transformation, and any break with the status quo, at any level, can trigger a domino effect, rewriting rules and reshaping the entire board.

This operation in Venezuela is not simply a grave violation of the country’s sovereignty and of international norms. It may serve as a precedent for many other actions around the globe, capable of obliterating the legal order and the very idea of a global concert.

From it, actors everywhere may conclude that they can ignore international law, act according to their interests and capacities, and relativize national sovereignty. Little more needs to be said to show how dangerous that is.

Trump may have carried out the operation for domestic political reasons, as his popularity is low, and capturing Maduro became a major card in his hand. Alternatively, he may have acted with foreign policy in mind, so that the United States projects strength and reinforces its political predominance vis-à-vis other major powers.

It is also possible that this move aimed to “score a point” against the Eastern bloc that has advanced in recent years; however, it is not yet clear if that is truly the case, since only Maduro was removed, not the Venezuelan regime.

The question now is: if other countries decide to mount operations of similar magnitude, China in Taiwan, for example, what will the United States say? And what prevents others from attempting such actions now? Regardless of ideological debate, this U.S. operation has considerably destabilized the world, and it may have opened Pandora’s box.