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UPSC » Daily News Analysis ‘The “Donroe Doctrine”: A 21st-Century Hemispheric Shift’ : 21 January

Daily News Analysis ‘The “Donroe Doctrine”: A 21st-Century Hemispheric Shift’ : 21 January

Table of Content

Why in News?

  •  Following the U.S. military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January 2026, President Donald Trump referred to his assertive foreign policy as the “Donroe Doctrine” , a personalized revival of the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine.

The Donroe Doctrine

  • Origin & Terminology: The term is a blend of “Donald” and “Monroe.” It was popularized by the New York Post and later adopted by the U.S. President to describe a “Trump Corollary” to the historic Monroe Doctrine.
  • Core Objective: To re-establish absolute American pre-eminence in the Western Hemisphere (North, Central, and South America) while explicitly excluding the influence of extra-hemispheric rivals like China and Russia.
  • Key Strategic Pillars:
    • Territorial Interest: Includes a renewed focus on acquiring or controlling strategic assets, such as the mineral-rich territory of Greenland and the Panama Canal.
    • Unilateral Intervention: Justifies the use of military force or special operations (as seen in Venezuela) under the guise of “national security” and “anti-narcotics” actions.
    • Economic Coercion: Uses punitive tariffs and “America First” trade policies to force regional neighbors (like Mexico and Colombia) into compliance.
  • Comparison with Monroe Doctrine (1823):
    • Monroe Doctrine: Originally a defensive policy warning European powers against further colonization in the Americas.
    • Roosevelt Corollary (1904): Added a “police power” element, allowing U.S. intervention to prevent European meddling.
    • Donroe Doctrine: Evolves these ideas into a more proactive and transactional framework that prioritizes direct U.S. economic gain and resource control.
  • Global Impact: Critics argue it marks a return to “Gunboat Diplomacy,” where international law is subordinated to the national interests of a superpower within its declared “backyard.”