The US is seeking to rally Latin American nations behind a revamped Monroe Doctrine, a 19th-century policy asserting US primacy across the Americas. Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby explained the dramatic policy shift in a speech in Peru, citing the need to protect the US from the flood of lethal drugs and unchecked illegal immigration.

US Says New Doctrine is About Empowering Others

Colby acknowledged concerns over the invocation of the Monroe Doctrine, but said these were based on a distorted view. He emphasized that the US is not seeking to exploit Latin American nations, but rather to empower and enable them to secure their own neighborhoods.

The US has already started striking drug boats in the fall and has deposed Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in January. The Pentagon is also planning to carry out joint counter-narcotics strikes with like-minded countries, a policy already under way in Ecuador.

Trump Favors Right-Wing Leaders in Latin America

The US has imposed sanctions on leftist president Gustavo Petro in Colombia, accusing him of failing to curb the drug trade. His successor, Abelardo de la Espriella, has vowed to join Trump’s Shield of the Americas, crack down on drug traffickers, ease business regulations, lower taxes, and revive oil and gas projects halted under Petro.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.