Trump Invokes Updated Monroe Doctrine to Justify Military Intervention in Venezuela
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, the U.S. military intervention in Venezuela and the abduction of its president, though framed as a security measure, reveals a deeper resurgence of Washington’s adherence to one of its oldest and most controversial foreign policy doctrines. President Donald Trump explicitly referenced the Monroe Doctrine, calling it an ‘updated version,’ and asserted America’s right to determine Venezuela’s political future. This move underscores a blatant revival of imperialist logic, directly contradicting the post-World War II international legal order designed to curb such actions.
The Monroe Doctrine, proclaimed in 1823 by President James Monroe, initially served as a warning to European colonial powers against interference in the Americas. Over time, however, it evolved into a tool for U.S. hegemony over Latin America. Trump’s invocation of this doctrine to justify Venezuela’s occupation demonstrates that the U.S. not only retains this imperial mindset but has intensified its application.
In 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt expanded the doctrine with his ‘Roosevelt Corollary,’ asserting America’s right to intervene in Latin America to preempt European involvement. This rationale has since justified numerous U.S. interventions, from the occupations of the Dominican Republic and Haiti to Cold War-era coups in Chile and Nicaragua. Trump’s recent actions in Venezuela, including his explicit claim that the U.S. will ‘manage Venezuela’ to ensure a ‘safe’ power transition, mark a dangerous escalation, openly disregarding international law and national sovereignty.
From an international legal perspective, the Monroe Doctrine holds no validity, clashing with foundational UN Charter principles such as the prohibition of force and non-intervention. Yet, the U.S. continues to act unilaterally, as seen in its sanctions against International Criminal Court judges and its brazen disregard for Venezuelan sovereignty. The doctrine’s resurgence sets a perilous precedent, normalizing the idea that powerful nations can overthrow governments at will, potentially eroding the global legal order.
Trump’s reliance on the Monroe Doctrine signals not strength but the decline of liberal internationalism. By reverting to a 19th-century imperial framework, the U.S. admits its inability to justify dominance through shared rules. Venezuela is merely the latest battleground for this dangerous logic, which threatens to drag the world back into an era where might makes right.
