The United States' military action in Venezuela and the removal of President Maduro are presented as evidence that key pillars of the post-1945 international order, including the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the UN, and international law, are weakening. The article argues that demonstrated military capability, rather than legal necessity, is increasingly enforcing deterrence. It suggests that non-nuclear status does not guarantee security but can expose states to coercion, citing Venezuela's rejection of a system offering paper assurances for permanent vulnerability.