In 1823 President James Monroe, in his annual address to Congress, enunciated what has become a bedrock principle of American foreign policy. He warned other powers not to interfere in the affairs of the Western Hemisphere, that a political or military intervention would be viewed as a possible hostile act against the U.S.
What prompted the Monroe Doctrine were concerns that certain European powers primarily Spain, France and Russia-were attempting to colonize or recolonize parts of the Americas. Spain had made attempts to retake newly independent Mexico, to which Washington said, forget about it. During the American Civil War, France sent troops to Mexico to install a puppet regime. When the war ended, France got the message: Get out of Mexico, or else. It withdrew. Russia ultimately gave up its ambitions in this part of the world when it sold Alaska to the U.S. in 1867.
In 1962, when Moscow attempted to install nuclear missiles in Cuba, we nearly had a nuclear war with the Soviet Union. The Kremlin backed down.
Today, to our peril, the Monroe Doctrine is becoming a dead letter. China, Russia and even Iran are on the march, making ever more brazen moves in the Americas.
China has been relentless, buying up companies and mines to control the region's abundant resources, while simultaneously controlling or operating its ports. Chinese companies make a point of establishing close ties with Latin governments, gaining diplomatic influence. Brazil, for instance, has just blatantly blocked X, formerly Twitter, nationwide.
China has already made itself the biggest trading partner of most South American nations.
Beijing's biggest project is a massive port that it is constructing in Peru. The goal is to make the port the region's chief gateway to global markets, especially those in Asia, as well as the entry point for Chinese products, such as EVs, to be sold in South America. The port, of course, could easily become a Chinese naval base. The other ports China controls in the region will facilitate ...
What prompted the Monroe Doctrine were concerns that certain European powers primarily Spain, France and Russia-were attempting to colonize or recolonize parts of the Americas. Spain had made attempts to retake newly independent Mexico, to which Washington said, forget about it. During the American Civil War, France sent troops to Mexico to install a puppet regime. When the war ended, France got the message: Get out of Mexico, or else. It withdrew. Russia ultimately gave up its ambitions in this part of the world when it sold Alaska to the U.S. in 1867.
In 1962, when Moscow attempted to install nuclear missiles in Cuba, we nearly had a nuclear war with the Soviet Union. The Kremlin backed down.
Today, to our peril, the Monroe Doctrine is becoming a dead letter. China, Russia and even Iran are on the march, making ever more brazen moves in the Americas.
China has been relentless, buying up companies and mines to control the region's abundant resources, while simultaneously controlling or operating its ports. Chinese companies make a point of establishing close ties with Latin governments, gaining diplomatic influence. Brazil, for instance, has just blatantly blocked X, formerly Twitter, nationwide.
China has already made itself the biggest trading partner of most South American nations.
Beijing's biggest project is a massive port that it is constructing in Peru. The goal is to make the port the region's chief gateway to global markets, especially those in Asia, as well as the entry point for Chinese products, such as EVs, to be sold in South America. The port, of course, could easily become a Chinese naval base. The other ports China controls in the region will facilitate ...
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Forbes (Digital) - 1 Issue, October - November 2024