[Global Focus] America's 'Monroe Doctrine 2.0'...Trump Turns Toward South America

US Launches Military Operations to Crack Down on Drug Smuggling
Deploys Aircraft Carrier...Targeting Regime Change in Maduro's Venezuela?
An 'Ideological Alliance' with Milei, the 'Trump of South America'

"The 'Monroe Doctrine,' once considered a relic of 19th-century American diplomacy, has made a comeback." (The Wall Street Journal)

The Donald Trump administration is escalating military operations throughout the Caribbean and South America under the banner of a "war on drugs," heightening regional tensions. While the stated justification is the crackdown on drug cartels, some analysts suggest these actions are in fact a "regime change operation" targeting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. In this context, there are growing observations that President Trump, since returning to office, is strengthening the so-called "Donroe Doctrine" to expand American influence across the Americas.

US: "Drug-Carrying Vessels Must Be Destroyed to Be Stopped"

On September 2 (local time), President Trump posted a roughly 30-second video of a US military operation on the social media platform Truth Social, stating, "This morning, under my orders, US forces attacked Trende Aragua (TdA) drug terrorists identified in the area under the jurisdiction of the Southern Command." He further claimed, "TdA is a terrorist organization operating under the control of President Maduro," and asserted, "They are engaged in drug trafficking and terrorist activities throughout the United States and the Western Hemisphere."

Regarding this operation, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during a press conference on his visit to Mexico the following day, declared, "Drug-carrying vessels must be destroyed to be stopped. There will no longer be a situation where organizations using maritime routes can operate with impunity." He warned, "Transporting drugs by ship toward the United States is a threat to us. (Attacks on drug-carrying vessels) may happen again."

Later, Secretary Rubio visited Ecuador, known as a battleground for drug trafficking cartels, and announced that the US would provide approximately $20 million in crime-fighting funds to Ecuador, even considering the establishment of a military base. He described President Maduro as "a drug terrorist and a fugitive from the US justice system," and added, "The United States will not stop at tracking down drug traffickers with only small patrol boats."

The Trump administration's "crackdown on drug smuggling" continued. On the 17th of last month, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the US had sunk a vessel belonging to the Colombian rebel group National Liberation Army (ELN), stating, "US intelligence agencies determined that the vessel was involved in illegal drug smuggling." Secretary Hegseth warned, "They are like Al-Qaeda in the Western Hemisphere. The US military will treat this group as terrorists and eliminate them just as we did Al-Qaeda."

According to The New York Times (NYT), since September, the US military has attacked 20 vessels suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, resulting in an estimated 80 deaths. The NYT noted, "Historically, the US has treated drug smuggling in the Caribbean as a law enforcement issue-stopping suspicious vessels, arresting people if illegal cargo is found, and bringing them to trial." The article continued, "However, recent actions are completely different from past practices. Most legal experts interpret that even if someone is suspected of a crime, the military does not have the authority to attack civilians who do not pose an immediate threat of violence."

Trump's 'Donroe Doctrine'...Aiming for Regime Change in Anti-American States?

Nicolas Maduro, President of Venezuela. Photo by TASS Yonhap News

Eventually, the US deployed an aircraft carrier to the Caribbean. On the 11th, the US Navy announced that the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, which had previously operated in the Mediterranean, had entered the US Southern Command's area of operations, including the Caribbean and Panama Canal. Commissioned in 2017, the Ford is the largest and most advanced aircraft carrier in the world.

Recently, as President Trump has indicated plans to block drug smuggling not only by sea but also by land, some analysts suggest that the deployment of the carrier may be a preliminary step for future US ground operations. James Stavridis, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, commented, "This is the largest deployment of US military power in the region since the 1989 invasion of Panama," and added, "It could be a signal that a ground assault by the Trump administration is imminent."

With the Trump administration expanding its influence in the Americas under the banner of a "war on drugs," there are growing claims that the US is reinforcing the "Donroe Doctrine." While drug enforcement is the stated rationale, the real aim appears to be ousting President Maduro, a prominent anti-American leader in South America, and orchestrating a regime change.

The term "Donroe Doctrine" combines President Trump's name with the "Monroe Doctrine," the foreign policy declared by James Monroe, the fifth US president, in 1823. While the era of the US acting as the "world's policeman" has ended, the doctrine signals a willingness to intervene militarily and economically within the Western Hemisphere-America's sphere of influence-for the sake of security and national interests.

The Donroe Doctrine, in particular, has gained strong support among US conservatives. Traditional Republican supporters have long referred to Central and South America as America's "backyard" and argued it should be a top foreign policy priority. Although this vision seemed to lose momentum as US foreign policy shifted toward the Middle East and other regions after the 1980s, President Trump's return to power has revived the idea of making the Americas the central axis of US diplomacy.

The Economist commented, "This kind of US foreign policy, which disappeared after the Cold War, brings back memories of the dark history of military interventions and coups in Latin America. Back then, too, the US feared the expansion of hostile forces." The article continued, "Just a few months ago, President Trump was worried that China might seize control of the Panama Canal and even argued that the US should acquire Greenland. Now, under a new 'doctrine,' he is shifting his focus to Venezuela."

With Argentina, an 'Economic Monroe Doctrine'...Concerns Over Expanding Chinese Influence

Donald Trump, President of the United States (left), and Javier Milei, President of Argentina. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

The US is pressuring uncooperative countries such as Venezuela and Colombia into submission, while providing economic aid and diplomatic rewards to pro-American regimes, thereby expanding its influence in the region. In particular, the US is actively supporting Argentina under President Javier Milei, often called the "Trump of South America." On the 15th of last month, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the US would prepare $20 billion in financial support to help Argentina repay its debts, emphasizing that Argentina is "an important US ally in Latin America."

Secretary Bessent specifically described US support for Argentina as an "economic Monroe Doctrine." He said, "The Milei administration is a beacon against socialist policies, and their success could trigger a rightward shift in other Central and South American countries."

Experts warn that if the US frames its military and economic support in ideological terms, it could undermine trust with regional partners and increase Central and South American countries' reliance on China. Jorge Heine, a former Chilean diplomat, criticized, "2025 is not 1823. This approach could actually drive South American countries closer to China."

Leland Lazarus, Deputy Director of the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy at Florida International University, also stated, "If South American countries perceive US actions as a return to imperialism, they may gravitate toward China." He added, "In other words, by invoking the Monroe Doctrine, the US is handing China a 'narrative gift' that America's military intervention is making a comeback."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.