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A familiar invocation of the Monroe Doctrine
Los Angeles Times
|January 05, 2026
In detailing the U.S. military action that led to the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, President Trump referenced the Monroe Doctrine, a maxim that has shaped American foreign policy for two centuries.
FEDERAL law enforcement wait outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York on Saturday for the arrival of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
(YUKI IWAMURA Associated Press)
The doctrine formulated by President James Monroe was originally aimed at opposing European meddling in the Western Hemisphere. It has since been invoked repeatedly by subsequent presidents angling to justify U.S. intervention in the region.
On Saturday, the consequential doctrine of America's fifth president was cited by the 47th president as partial justification for the capture of a foreign leader to face criminal charges in the United States. Trump even quipped that some now called it "the Don-roe Doctrine."
Political scientists are now looking back on the use of the Monroe Doctrine through history and drawing connections to how the Trump administration is seeking to apply it to current foreign policy including the Republican president's assertion that Washington would "run" Venezuela until a suitable replacement for Maduro was in place.
Here's a look at the Monroe Doctrine, how it has been invoked over time and how it has informed Trump's decision making.
What is the Monroe Doctrine?
Articulated in Monroe's 1823 address to Congress, it was intended to ward off European colonization or other interference in independent nations of the Western Hemisphere. In return, the U.S. also agreed to stay out of European wars and internal affairs.
At the time, many Latin American countries had just gained independence from European empires. Monroe wanted both to prevent Europe from reclaiming control and to assert U.S. influence in the hemisphere.
Through the centuries, much of that has included Venezuela, according to Jay Sexton, a history professor at the University of Missouri.
This story is from the January 05, 2026 edition of Los Angeles Times.
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