As US President Donald Trump enters his second term, his foreign policy agenda appears to be taking an increasingly aggressive and authoritarian turn. In the wake of the dramatic overnight raid that saw the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife from their heavily fortified Caracas compound, Trump has dusted off the 1823 Monroe Doctrine and rebranded it as the “Donroe Doctrine” – a pledge of US supremacy in the Western Hemisphere.
In recent days, Trump has issued a series of warnings to other nations within Washington’s orbit, hinting at potential military interventions and annexations. Greenland, Colombia, Iran, and Cuba have all found themselves in the crosshairs of the president’s expansionist ambitions.
Greenland, part of the Kingdom of Denmark, has been singled out by Trump as a strategic priority, with the president citing national security concerns and the island’s rich reserves of rare earth minerals. However, Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen has firmly rejected the notion of US control, describing it as a “fantasy” and calling for dialogue and respect for international law.
In Colombia, Trump has engaged in a spiralling dispute with left-wing President Gustavo Petro, accusing him of allowing drug cartels to “flourish” and threatening military action. This represents a significant shift from Colombia’s historical role as a close US ally in the war on drugs.
Iran, theoretically outside the scope of the “Donroe Doctrine,” has also found itself in Trump’s sights. The president has warned that the Iranian authorities would be “hit very hard” if they continue to crack down on anti-government protesters, raising the specter of further military strikes against the country.
Meanwhile, Trump has set his sights on Cuba, suggesting that the island nation is “ready to fall” due to the collapse of its oil supply from Venezuela. With Maduro’s regime now toppled, Cuba’s future remains uncertain, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has hinted at the possibility of regime change.
As the world watches with growing concern, the implications of Trump’s foreign policy ambitions could be far-reaching, potentially setting a dangerous precedent for authoritarian power grabs across the globe. The president’s actions have already put the future of Greenland and the stability of the NATO alliance in peril, and the risk of further military interventions in the region remains high.
