Monroe Doctrine Explained: Does Trump’s Venezuela Action Align With Its Principles?

In the early hours of Saturday, January 3, 2026, the United States military conducted a high-risk operation in Venezuela that resulted in the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

The two were flown out of Venezuela aboard a U.S. warship before being transferred to New York City, where Maduro is expected to face federal drug trafficking and “narcoterrorism” charges.

Following the operation, U.S. President Donald Trump held a press conference in which he defended the arrest of a sitting foreign president, despite longstanding international laws that uphold state sovereignty.

Trump Gives New Version of Monroe Doctrine

After the operation, Trump said his arrest was part of a larger plan to strengthen U.S. power in the Western Hemisphere.

He brought up the Monroe Doctrine, a U.S. foreign policy from the 1800s, claiming it had grown significantly during his time in office.

Trump called this new interpretation the “Donroe Doctrine.”

“The Monroe Doctrine is a big deal, but we’ve superseded it by a lot, by a real lot. They now call it the Donroe Doctrine. Under our new national strategy, American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again,” Trump said.

Also Read: China, Qatar & AU Break Silence After Trump Bombed Venezuela and Arrested President Maduro

Trump’s remarks have reignited debate over the true meaning and scope of the Monroe Doctrine, with differing interpretations emerging.

Some commentators argue that the doctrine implies that all countries in North and South America must align with U.S. interests or risk forceful intervention.

They point to America’s westward expansion, the use of diplomacy and military force in Latin America, and U.S. backing of Panama’s separation from Colombia in 1903 as evidence of a long-standing strategy to eliminate competitors and secure hemispheric dominance.

True Meaning of the Doctrine

Others have drawn parallels with Russia’s approach to its perceived sphere of influence, arguing that great powers historically enforce dominance within their “backyards.”

Russia’s control over Crimea, the Black Sea, the Caucasus, and parts of Central Asia is often cited as an example of this geopolitical logic.

However, such interpretations do not fully reflect the original intent of the Monroe Doctrine.

The doctrine was first articulated by U.S. President James Monroe on December 2, 1823, in an address to Congress.

Its primary purpose was to warn European powers against further colonization or interference in the newly independent states of the Americas.

In return, the United States pledged non-interference in European affairs.

The Monroe Doctrine from the beginning was mainly a defensive policy, not a statement of U.S. control over the Western Hemisphere.

It did not require countries in the Americas to support the U.S. and did not allow for the removal of governments that were seen as hostile to U.S. interests.

Also Read: Venezuela Responds Forcefully to Trump’s Threats

Later interpretations, especially the Roosevelt Corollary in the early 1900s, expanded the Monroe Doctrine to justify U.S. intervention in Latin America.

These later policies, more than the original doctrine itself, support many actions linked to U.S. power in the region.

In this context, while Trump’s reasoning uses some phrases from the Monroe Doctrine, the arrest of Venezuela’s president is a much bolder reinterpretation than what James Monroe intended.

The original Monroe Doctrine aimed to stop European colonial expansion, not to enforce political loyalty or justify military action against independent governments in the Americas.

Follow our WhatsApp Channel and WhatsApp Community for Instant News Updates

President Trump signed to law that all visitors from Visa waived countries must submit their social media data and emails and family information to enhance security screening. PHOTO/Trump/X