The Trump administration on Wednesday formally presented what officials described as a new interpretation of the Monroe Doctrine as the guiding framework for U.S. policy in Latin America, urging governments across the region to deepen security cooperation while arguing the strategy is intended to "empower" rather than dominate U.S. partners.
Speaking at the Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas in Cusco, Peru, the Pentagon's top policy official, Elbridge Colby, outlined what he referred to as the "Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine," also known as the "Donroe Doctrine," and described it as "a fundamental change in our approach to the Western Hemisphere."
Colby said the administration now views drug trafficking, illegal migration and the growing influence of external powers as matters directly tied to U.S. national defense. He cited recent U.S. military strikes against drug-smuggling vessels, the January operation that removed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power and plans to expand joint counter-narcotics operations with partner nations, including Ecuador.
Acknowledging criticism that reviving the Monroe Doctrine evokes a history of U.S. intervention in Latin America, Colby argued those concerns reflect a "distorted" interpretation of the policy.
"The best tradition of the Monroe Doctrine is about protecting our own security and interests by empowering and enabling Latin American nations," he said. "America doesn't need your assets or your dependency... We seek your success in securing our neighborhood."
He also urged governments across the region to increase defense spending and protect critical infrastructure from foreign influence, an apparent reference to China's expanding economic and strategic presence in Latin America.
The speech comes as several Latin American countries, including Argentina, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Colombia, have moved toward governments more closely aligned with Washington on security and economic issues.
A recent analysis by the foreign policy publication Inkstick argued that the administration's rhetoric has been accompanied by concrete policy changes, including expanded military cooperation with regional partners, the creation of the Shield of the Americas alliance and a greater U.S. security presence in Latin America. The publication said supporters view those measures as strengthening regional security, while critics argue they amount to a revival of U.S. interventionism under a new label.
The administration's embrace of the Monroe Doctrine has also faced political opposition in Washington. In February, Rep. Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y., reintroduced a House resolution urging the State Department to abandon the doctrine in favor of what she called a "New Good Neighbor policy."
Velázquez argued that the administration's "aggressive posture" toward Latin America reflects a renewed interventionist approach and said regional challenges such as migration and narcotics trafficking "require partnership, not coercion." The resolution remains pending in the House after being referred to committee.
