Landen Braunstein & Geneva Huang
Executive News Editor and News Editor
In terms of Venezuela, do you think it relates to the Monroe Doctrine, and why or why not? Does it relate to the Monroe Doctrine?
It does, in as much as the Monroe Doctrine, as it was altered by Theodore Roosevelt, the Roosevelt Corollary, which basically said, Europe hands off, if you need something, if you need it, we’ll do it for you. So it still puts forth the right to invade, it just expands it to, whatever reason we feel like we need, we should be able to invade you.
What do you think is going to happen in the foreseeable future, as in terms of diplomacy and then setting up a government in Venezuela?
The U.S. wants to acquire Greenland and the Panama Canal. How much of this capture do you think was about, this is your question, was about, do you think like personal gain? And then how much of it was about oil?
The U.S. military shocked the world on Jan. 3 by capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. The U.S. military organized and executed a raid on the capital of Caracas, captured the two, and relocated them to New York. They are now facing federal charges and imprisonment for drug trafficking and affiliation with terrorist groups.
Prior to the capture, CIA officers went undercover to collect information regarding Maduro’s everyday routine and whereabouts. Finally, Operation Absolute Resolve was put into place at around two in the morning on Jan. 3. With the help of military air raids, Delta and CIA forces stormed Maduro’s compound and took him into custody while he attempted to enter a safe room.
“It looks a lot more like what the United States did in the Cold War era, which is, if we don’t like your government, we’re gonna get rid of you,” said Mr. Kofahl. “Some of the arguments are that Venezuela was too chummy with Russia and China, which is not super far apart from what we were doing 50 years ago.”
Maduro and Flores both pleaded not guilty when they faced the federal courthouse on Jan. 6. Their next court appearance is scheduled for March 17 and currently remain in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center. Their detention echoes U.S. efforts to assert power in the hemisphere, like the strategic control over the Panama Canal.
“[The Panama Canal] was originally leased [from Panama]. I think it seems worthwhile that we actually honor our commitments,” MUN teacher Mr. Knutson said. “That seems like something that civilized countries do.”
On Jan. 5, Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, was sworn in as an acting president. U.S. Government officials state that they are intending to work with Rodriguez to help run the country until a new, official president is decided upon. Nevertheless, the U.S. had additional motives for capturing Venezuela’s president. Doing so has allowed the U.S. government to take the liberty of overseeing Venezuelan oil reserves, which are the largest in the world.
“The only thing we’ve seen so far is that the new government, with Maduro gone, is willing to give oil to the United States, but is also still willing to suppress any dissent or movement towards democracy inside their own country,” Mr. Knutson said “As long as we get oil, I don’t think [the Trump Administration] is really all that concerned about democracy in Venezuela.”
President Trump believes the country will become increasingly involved in the international oil industry. The current raids are reminiscent of the “Monroe Doctrine,” first used under the administration of President James Monroe, in 1823.
“The U. S. action in Venezuela is taking the original Monroe Doctrine out of context,” Social Studies teacher Mr. Kofahl said. “The Monroe Doctrine was a message to European rulers that said, ‘Stay out of the Western Hemisphere.’ It’s not the same thing as the United States taking these things over.”
This longstanding tenet was initially aimed to remove European influences from U.S. domestic affairs. Now, Trump is using this same approach in Venezuela, calling it the “Donroe Doctrine.” It is an attempt by the current administration to justify increased intervention in Latin America, framing the strikes as a way to combat drug trafficking and protect U.S. interests economically.
“It’s doing more than what the Monroe doctrine was about,” Mr. Kofahl said. “I would disagree that it is somehow a reactivation of it because it’s going well beyond that to actually assert power over the region.”
The US’s strikes against the alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean have led to an oil blockade on certain oil tankers. US authorities are using the oil blockade and the threat of additional strikes to coerce the Venezuelan government into agreeing with their demands.
“To someone who is taking the Monroe Doctrine out of context, it’s easier to make the argument that this is somehow a continuation of something the United States has always been doing,” Mr. Kofahl said.
The “Donroe Doctrine” is a clear signal by the Trump administration that the nation will continue its attempt in asserting American dominance on the South American continent.
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