New Monroe Doctrine Looms Over Latin America

Jan 23, 2026 at 04:07 PM

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Lanka Leader

As headlines about a potential US military strike on Venezuela and the forced removal of President Nicolás Maduro fade, replaced by debates over Greenland and transatlantic tensions at the World Economic Forum in Davos, a deeper concern persists: Latin America’s sovereignty and regional security remain under pressure from Washington.

On Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources familiar with the matter, that the Trump administration is seeking contacts within the Cuban government to facilitate a possible regime change by the end of the year. Although US officials reportedly lack a concrete plan, the discussion has revived painful memories across Latin America, particularly amid recent developments involving Venezuela.

The report has once again brought the Monroe Doctrine—an enduring symbol of US dominance in the Western Hemisphere—back into focus, this time in what critics describe as a more aggressive form. Under the current US administration, the doctrine has evolved beyond traditional political pressure, diplomatic isolation, and economic sanctions into a broader strategy that combines military force, financial pressure, energy restrictions, and internal destabilization.

Washington’s methods, ranging from direct military intervention to modern “color revolutions,” economic warfare, and psychological operations, have expanded over time. For many in the region, this renewed doctrine is seen not as a gesture of partnership, but as a constant threat—an instrument of intervention hanging over Latin America.

Venezuela, analysts argue, may represent an early test case. Critics say US policymakers are seeking to send a broader message to the region: comply with Washington’s demands or face similar consequences. Such actions, they contend, undermine the UN Charter and the principles of sovereignty and non-interference.

Whether the reported plans regarding Cuba materialize is less significant, observers note, than the mindset driving them. Treating intervention as a right and dominance as order risks prolonging instability across Latin America and beyond.

Critics also warn that Washington may be misreading both history and current realities. Latin America today is far more politically conscious and interconnected than in previous eras, and regional aspirations for independent development remain strong. At the same time, resistance to US unilateralism is no longer confined to the Western Hemisphere, as illustrated by pushback from European allies over recent US rhetoric on Greenland.

According to analysts, these trends suggest a broader challenge to a US-led international order perceived as reverting to 19th-century power politics. In response, they argue, defending sovereignty requires not only resilience against direct pressure but also stronger multilateral cooperation, deeper South-South ties, and greater strategic autonomy.

The long-term objective, they say, is to advance a more balanced, multipolar international system—one in which intervention and coercion carry higher costs, and the space for hegemonic politics is steadily reduced.

source: Global Times