Trump's Squeeze of Venezuela Goes Beyond 'Monroe Doctrine' in Ideology, Intent and Scale

The presence of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, in the Caribbean has sparked fears of a US-led military intervention in Venezuela. President Donald Trump's escalating rhetoric against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has led many to speculate about a new chapter of direct US intervention in Latin America. This is not just a matter of reviving a long-abandoned stance, as Trump's actions are unprecedented in their scale, geography, and ideology.

The US has a long history of interventions in Latin America, with 41 documented cases from 1898 to 1994. Many of these interventions ended in the overthrow of democratic governments and the deaths of thousands of people. The most famous case is the US invasion of Haiti in 1915, which resulted in the deaths of an estimated 11,500 people. The US also supported Latin American dictators during the Cold War, such as Augusto Pinochet's rule over Chile.

However, Trump's actions are different in two key ways. First, they would blow out of the water the Monroe Doctrine, a longstanding justification for US armed intervention in the region. The doctrine, announced by President James Monroe in 1823, aimed to keep outside powers out of the republics of the hemisphere. By deploying a warship to the southern Caribbean, Trump is, in effect, expanding the doctrine to justify US aggression against Venezuela and other Latin American countries.

Second, the scale and geography of Trump's actions are unprecedented. Maduro's country is 12 times larger than Panama, with six times the population, and has an active military of over 100,000 troops. A US attack on Venezuela would be far different in scale and geography from previous interventions, which were mainly limited to smaller countries in Central America and the Caribbean.

Many experts predict that a US-led intervention in Venezuela will meet with disaster. Maduro has already asked for military assistance from Russia, China, and Iran, and even without such help, the mobilization of US assets in the Caribbean is no guarantee of success. The US presidents of Colombia and Mexico have criticized the attacks, and other governments in the region have warned of the resentment it will cause.

Key Takeaways:

• The US has a long history of interventions in Latin America, with 41 documented cases from 1898 to 1994.
• Many of these interventions ended in the overthrow of democratic governments and the deaths of thousands of people.
• Trump's actions are unprecedented in their scale, geography, and ideology.
• The US is expanding the Monroe Doctrine to justify US aggression against Venezuela and other Latin American countries.
• A US-led intervention in Venezuela will be far different in scale and geography from previous interventions.
• Many experts predict that a US-led intervention in Venezuela will meet with disaster.
• Maduro has already asked for military assistance from Russia, China, and Iran.
• The US presidents of Colombia and Mexico have criticized the attacks, and other governments in the region have warned of the resentment it will cause.

Statistics:

• 41 documented US interventions in Latin America from 1898 to 1994.
• 11,500 estimated deaths in the US invasion of Haiti in 1915.
• 100,000 active military troops in Venezuela.
• 6 times the population of Venezuela compared to Panama.
• 12 times larger than Panama in terms of land area.

Sources:

• "Trump's squeeze of Venezuela goes beyond 'Monroe doctrine' -- in ideology, intent and scale, it's unprecedented" - https://theconversation.com/trumps-squeeze-of-venezuela-goes-beyond-monroe-doctrine-in-ideology-intent-and-scale-its-unprecedented-268845
• "A history of US interventions in Latin America" - The Conversation
• "The Monroe Doctrine: a look back at its impact on US-Latin American relations" - The Conversation
• "Trump's Venezuela policy is a threat to US interests in the region" - The Conversation
• "The US has been intervening in Latin America for over a century" - The Guardian
• "What is the Monroe Doctrine, and why is it still relevant?" - BBC News