The ‘Donroe’ Doctrine
In 1823 United States President James Monroe first articulated the revised foreign policy for the US that stated that European colonialism would not be tolerated in the western hemisphere. That the United States was the single hegemonic state in the Americas. While at the time the US did not have the military power to back this policy up the following centuries have proven the American ability to enforce this pronouncement.
Over my life the US has exercised this policy both overtly and covertly numerous times. What with the failed invasion of Cuba in the early sixties which was closely followed by the Cuban missile crisis of October 1962 the Americans signalled that Communist intervention in the Americas was as unwelcome now as European colonialism was 150 years prior. It was clear that a Soviet beach-head in the Americas would not be tolerated.
The 1970’s brought us th debacle of the attempted coup in Chile by the CIA and its puppet company ITT. The 1980’s was rife with US intervention into Caribbean and Central American countries. With Regan we had the invasion of Grenada and the CIA action in Nicaragua. Bush 1 moved on Manuel Noriega in an action that mirrors the current US action that took out Nicholas Madura in Venezuela. The ‘war on drugs has had the US take covert action in Columbia and Mexico while both Papa Doc and Baby Doc certainly had US help on their way to expiration.
The actions in the 1960’s through to the 1990’s predominately were to counter influence by the Soviet Union in the west. The US would tolerate governments that were not supportive of the US but if they actively encouraged bases for soviet forces or missiles the US would act. The fall of the USSR led to a reduction of issues in the America’s politically. At least until the rise of the Narco Cartels.
Noriega was the first of the Narco Terrorists who was also a government leader that was captured and brought to the US for trial. Others who were just cartel leaders such as those in Columbia like Pablo Escobar were captured and killed in their home countries at the behest of the US. The US continues direct action in Mexico against its cartel leaders and now a new player has entered the geopolitical dance in the Americas both with narcotics and political influence.
China supplies the cartels with precursor chemicals for fentanyl and funding for poor Central and South American countries as well as Caribbean Island nations with the belt and road initiative. The narcotics trade killing 10s of thousands of Americans each year. The belt and road initiative tying countries financially to China, weakening the influence the US has in our hemisphere. Furthering the belt and road initiatives are the purchases of mines and agricultural lands. With the US embargo on Venezuelan oil purchases China has also stepped up the oil it purchases from them.
The Trump Corollary of the Monroe Doctrine restates the rule with reference to China and Russia. Stating that the west will remain in the sphere of the United States. The move to bring Maduro to trial as a narco terrorist a fulfillment of this policy. Political opponents of Trump are painting this exclusively as an attempt to steal the resources of Venezuela and that it is completely unconstitutional. No one is talking about the newly installed missile sites in Venezuela nor are they talking about the deliveries of missile to Cuba from Russia.
Nor are the opponents of Trump speaking to the joy that Venezuelans are showing with this dictator removed. Why would not a country with a small population relative to the resource they have be optimistic knowing money from this resource will start flowing into the countries coffers once again. I imagine most understand that their government is so broken it will take some time to restore some form of stability. All branches of government need to be rebuilt, as does the military which is beholden to Maduro.
Moving the economy back to a petrol-based one will take some time. Rebuilding tourism will come with political stability. The country is also a rich storehouse of gold, coal, bauxite, natural gas and rare earth metals. With a democratic government dedicated to the improving the plight of its people the natural resource base is available to make this country one of wealth and comfort, as it was prior to 1999 when communism took over.
Democratic capitalism will win out in Venezuela. If the US manages to rebuild the economy and rebuild the government into a liberal democracy once again, history may be kind to Trump. More importantly is the geopolitical implications of keeping China and Russia out of our backyards while at the same time making China beholden more and more to Western oil and gas. Currently China is the largest purchaser of Venezuelan oil which certainly will change as exports to the US ramp up.
Refining the oil from Venezuela is similar to the refining of Canadian oil. Both are heavy crudes which require preliminary steps to what Saudi or West Texas crude require. Refining in the mid-west and gulf coast are geared toward this type of crude. India can refine heavy crude as China can as well. Can it be very long until Canada announces actual plans for pipelines to both the west and east coasts. Our sovereignty will necessitate these pipelines.
We will not need to build them so we can diversify ourselves from US control. We need to build them so the Monroe Doctrine is not extended to Canada. Our oil and gas need to be going to other countries but with the blessing and planning of the US. We will flourish as the result and we will maintain a reasonable amount of independence. We will also ensure Russia cannot become the primary supplier of oil to China and India. This is the new world order.