President Donald Trump has consistently asserted that Venezuela’s Maduro administration collaborates with “narco-terrorists” to funnel drugs into the United States. In response, he ramped up the presence of US military forces in the region last year.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has recently suggested that ousting Maduro could hinder adversaries like Iran and Hezbollah from establishing a foothold in Venezuela.

This stance echoes the principles of the fifth US President, James Monroe, who introduced the Monroe Doctrine, a policy designed to shield the Americas from external interference.

Rubio emphasized in an interview, “This is the Western Hemisphere,” underscoring the region’s significance to the US.

He added, “We reside here, and we won’t permit this hemisphere to become a stronghold for our adversaries, competitors, and rivals.”

Trump also alluded to the historical doctrine, humorously noting that some within his administration were beginning to refer to it as the “Don-roe Doctrine.”