THE 'DONROE' DOCTRINE

FOCUS GEOPOLITICS

- Vappala Balachandran

Various theories have been advanced to explain the reasons for Donald Trump's order to abduct Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and attack the resource-rich Latin American nation.

Is it a thinly disguised attempt to grab and control oil and other natural resources? Or a return to the doctrine-directed interventionism of the past (Monroe Doctrine of 1823) by the US in the Western Hemisphere, and its justification? The first theory centres around a bid to grab and control Venezuela's vast oil deposits by allowing the entry of US multinational oil companies after Maduro's exit.

Apart from oil there is the deeper rationale of metals like silver. The Arco Minero del Orinoco, a vast mineral-rich region in Venezuela, is estimated to contain over $1 trillion in untapped natural resources. This region is said to have huge reserves of silver, gold and rare metals which are important for American military systems, defence supply chains and advanced electronics. Also, in the light of a growing shortage of precious metals, these strategic metals are becoming as important as oil was. Control of these resources could secure years of strategic metal supply and give the US a geopolitical edge over the European Union and other countries.

The second reason is the traditionally trotted American desire to "restore democracy." This was akin to what President George HW Bush had told Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev during the December 2-3, 1989, Malta Summit. Bush spoke of the problems caused by Manuel Noreiga in Panama, a former CIA asset, and that the US was preparing "solid indictments" against him and was going to bring in "democracy" in Panama.