What is the Monroe Doctrine? The 1823 law that Trump is accused of applying against Latin America

In 1823, the fifth President of the United States, James Monroe, proclaimed the famous “Monroe Doctrine,” a foreign policy that opposed European colonialism in the Americas under the motto “America for the Americans.” Through this doctrine, it was established that any form of intervention in the American continent would be considered a threat to the United States, thereby justifying any type of response from the American Union.

Although the doctrine initially represented a form of “protection” for newly independent nations, its meaning evolved over time. The United States began to use it as a justification for intervening in political and economic affairs across Latin America and the Caribbean, with the primary objective of safeguarding its own commercial and strategic interests.

As a result, the Monroe Doctrine became a tool through which the United States could assert its dominance over the Americas. This shift in policy was formalised in the “Roosevelt Corollary,” proclaimed by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1904. Today, in 2025, the doctrine has once again returned to the centre of political debate, largely due to the actions of the current occupant of the White House, Donald Trump.

Since Donald Trump regained the presidency in January of this year, his administration has been accused of reviving the Monroe Doctrine in its approach towards Latin America, particularly through its involvement in regional political affairs. These accusations intensified after the United States launched a military deployment along the Caribbean coast under the stated pretext of combating drug trafficking.

According to various reports, the United States has deployed more than 8 percent of its global fleet of warships as part of this operation, which has resulted in multiple attacks on Venezuelan vessels, now leading to today’s situation.