Trump Justifies Intervention in Venezuela with Monroe Doctrine
American President Donald Trump Invokes Monroe Doctrine
United States President Donald Trump has sought to justify the military action taken against Venezuela and the imposition of Washington's will in Latin America by invoking a policy from the 19th century. On Saturday, Trump referred to the raid that led to the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as an update to the Monroe Doctrine, the 1823 declaration by the fifth American president, James Monroe. Trump added that the United States "will lead the country" until a "safe, proper, and judicious transition" can be achieved.
"The Monroe Doctrine is an important topic, but we have far surpassed it, truly far surpassed it. Now I call it the Donroe document," Trump stated, incorporating the first letter of his name into the series of principles. "American dominance in the western hemisphere will never again be contested," he added.
What is the Monroe Doctrine?
The Monroe Doctrine was formulated to encourage the division of the world into spheres of influence overseen by various powers. Monroe first spoke about it on December 2, 1823, during his annual address to Congress, although the doctrine was not named as such until decades later. He warned European powers not to interfere in the affairs of America, stating that any action of this kind would be regarded as an attack on the United States.
The President declared that the affairs of the western hemisphere and Europe should remain separate and not influence one another. He promised that the United States would recognize and not interfere in existing European colonies or the internal affairs of European countries. However, Monroe asserted that North America and South America would no longer be subject to future colonization by any European power.
United States Involvement in Latin America
Over the following decades, the Monroe Doctrine has been used to justify American intervention in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Nicaragua. In the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan adopted an aggressive approach towards the region, labeled "imperialist" by his detractors. In Nicaragua, he supported right-wing Contra forces against the leftist Sandinista government. He also backed right-wing governments accused of atrocities in El Salvador and Guatemala. Cuba has been under intense pressure from the United States since Fidel Castro's revolution, both militarily and economically, with severe sanctions still in effect today.
