The “Donroe Doctrine” and the Return of the Monroe Doctrine: A New Chapter in U.S. Policy Toward Cuba and Hispanic America?
In recent months, U.S. foreign policy has once again placed Hispanic America at the center of its geopolitical strategy. A term that has circulated in some media outlets and political analyses—the so-called “Donroe Doctrine”—represents a contemporary reinterpretation of the historic Monroe Doctrine, formally adopted by the administration of President Donald Trump.
This reinterpretation seeks to legitimize a more aggressive policy toward countries such as Cuba, Venezuela, and other governments in the region, with the stated objective of restoring U.S. preeminence in its hemisphere.
The Monroe Doctrine, originally formulated in 1823 by U.S. President James Monroe, proclaimed that any intervention by European powers in the American continent would be viewed as a threat to the security of the United States itself.
Although conceived as a declaration of regional independence from European powers, over time it was used as justification for U.S. intervention in Hispanic America.
During 2025, the Trump administration introduced a renewed version of this doctrine in the so-called National Security Strategy—an official document that defines foreign policy priorities—which explicitly emphasizes the need to strengthen U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere and counter the presence of China, Russia, and Iran, among other external actors.
This reinterpretation has been described as an attempt by the United States to once again impose more direct political and strategic control over Hispanic America, promoting an expanded military presence, new sanctions, and increased economic pressure on governments such as those of Cuba and Venezuela.
For example, it has been reported that the U.S. government has declared a “national emergency” with respect to Cuba, imposed tariffs on countries that supply oil to the island, and intensified diplomatic tensions with Havana, thereby deepening a historical confrontation that dates back decades.
The regional response has been swift: governments such as those of Venezuela and Cuba have denounced what they consider a resurgence of interventionism and a return to the imperialist approach of the past. Venezuela’s president addressed CELAC, calling for firmness against what he described as the “resurgence of the Monroe Doctrine” in hemispheric relations.
News surrounding the so-called “Donroe Doctrine”—although some of it comes from political analyses or media interpretations of Washington’s decisions—rests on a verifiable fact: the Monroe Doctrine has returned to the center of U.S. security and foreign policy discourse in 2025–2026, adopting more complex and modern forms.
Official documents and international reports support the claim that the United States seeks to reaffirm its influence in the Western Hemisphere and counter global powers, and that this effort translates into political, economic, and strategic pressure on countries such as Cuba and Venezuela.
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