NB: Cody’s article pair’s well with Alex Aviña’s recent article in Foreign Exchanges.
Speaking of Spheres of Influence, Since We Are All Up in Arms against Russia’s Insistence That It Has the Right to Impose its Will on Ukraine…
During a press conference on January 19th, 2022, President Joe Biden called Latin America the United States’ “front yard”. Following Biden’s press conference Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced the bi-partisan Western Hemispheric Strategy Act of 2022. This act is meant to “enhance U.S. engagement in our region” no doubt in retaliation to China’s growing economic influence in the region. President Biden and the bi-partisan act is drawing on an old U.S. tradition of seeing Latin America as its’ domain where other nations aren’t allowed to dominant in. This old tradition dates to the Monroe Doctrine of 1823. This doctrine was introduced by President James Monroe stating that European powers could not colonize the region anymore. European powers were allowed to keep their current colonies, but any future attempts would mean the United States will view it as a security threat and act in its’ interest. In the beginning it was mostly directed at Britain, France, and Spain, but later in the 19th century it would be more directed toward Britain and Germany. The 20th century and two world wars would change this dynamic drastically. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union would become the main target for the ethos of the Monroe Doctrine. After the fall of the Soviet Union, it seemed the Monroe Doctrine would become dormant as the United States became the sole global economic power and no threats to its “security” were being made. However, in the 21st century the Monroe Doctrine remains in the minds of U.S. elites. As more Latin American countries seek economic relations with China; the United States views it as a threat to its security and will hawk back to the decrees of the Monroe Doctrine to maintain its dominance over the nations to the south of its’ border.
The Monroe Doctrine was issued in 1823. When it was first introduced many European powers scoffed at the doctrine and considered the United States to be overreaching its’ power. The U.S. was a new nation with barely a navy, how would it even enforce the doctrine? Nevertheless, throughout the 19th century the U.S. continued to develop capitalism and industrialize and by 1891 Britain experienced how the U.S. would enforce this doctrine. When Britain tried to redraw the Venezuelan border from their colony of Guiana so it could gain control of a gold mine, the United States stepped in stating if Britain tried to remake the border, they would take it as a threat.1 Britain taking back by the United States concluded it was not worth fighting and backed off. Toward the end of the century Spain would also have a similar experience. During the late 1890’s many U.S. leaders such as Theodore Roosevelt believed that Spain had lost its colony of Cuba and should begin negotiating a withdraw.2 However, Spain did not see it this way. The Spanish-American War is a mix of the Monroe Doctrine and imperialism. It’s an example of the Monroe Doctrine being enacted because the United States is telling Spain to not send more troops that the U.S. would take it as a threat and an attempt to recolonize Cuba. It’s an example of imperialism as well, because instead of allowing Cuba to establish their own sovereignty the United States tells Cuba that the U.S. will have influence in the country to make sure United States economic interest are maintained. Many scholars mark this as the turning point of the United States transitioning from a regional colonial power to an imperial global power. This transition would have dire consequences for Latin America.
The Monroe Doctrine would go through a mutation during the 20th century. During the 19th century the Monroe Doctrine was directed at powers trying to colonize the region further. The Monroe Doctrine will morph into not allowing other powers to have hegemonic economic relations with Latin American countries in the 20th century. This new and improved Monroe Doctrine will be directed at the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Cuba is another excellent example. After the Cuban Revolution Cuba would become a communist state. As a communist state its’ main trade partner would be the Soviet Union. U.S. elites viewed this as a direct threat to national security and the Bay of Pigs is the most famous example of the U.S. trying to overthrow the Communist Party in Cuba so the U.S. can become its main economic partner again. The Bay of Pigs will fail, but the U.S. made sure for the rest of the century it would be the region’s economic hegemon. After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 the United States had no other threats to its economic dominance in Latin America and some scholars believed that the Monroe Doctrine would cease. In the 21st century the Monroe Doctrine would still find meaning amongst United States leaders. China has been growing economic relations with many countries in the region such as Mexico, Bolivia, and Venezuela. Much like in the past when it came to other foreign powers the U.S. views this growing economic relationship with China amongst Latin American countries as a threat to national security. Under the Trump administration the U.S. took steps to maintain its economic stronghold in the region to undermine China, and Biden’s administration is continuing along this path. And under Biden’s administration Latin America has received an upgrade from America’s “backyard” to its’ “front yard”. Nevertheless, this continues the same problem that the U.S. views itself as Latin America’s economic home. Under a free trade market, one would think a nation has the right to participate in trade with any other nation it wants. And to freely choose who it decides to be main economic partners with. However, as the Monroe Doctrine dictates Latin America is only free to have the United States as its main economic partner. It would be a failure to view the Monroe Doctrine and imperialism as separate. It is important to note that the Monroe Doctrine is a remnant of colonialism that has found new meaning with imperialism as an element to help maintain U.S. economic dominance in Latin America.
Signed,
Cody (Kern)
- David Traxel, 1898 : the Birth of the American Century, (New York: A.A. Knopf, 1998), page 88.
- Traxel, ibid.
Normal Thoughts 