Trump acts in the Monroe Doctrine tradition |
President Donald Trump is delivering increasingly robust U.S. policies against drug cartels and hostile regimes in Latin America. He has little concern for the escalating complaints of European allies over these policies.
There’s nothing new about this approach to Latin America.
President James Monroe announced the Monroe Doctrine on Dec. 2, 1823, warning European powers against further colonization or political interference in the Western Hemisphere. He also asserted distinct spheres of influence for the Americas and Europe.
The Monroe Doctrine declared that the Americas were no longer open to European colonization and affirmed that the United States would not interfere in European internal affairs. At the time, the U.S. lacked the military power to enforce the doctrine. Nevertheless, it became a cornerstone of American foreign policy. Crucially, the United Kingdom, then the world’s dominant naval power, quietly supported the doctrine. Britain shared America’s interest in........