[ALMASDARNEWS] National Security Adviser John Bolton has signalled the US administration’s readiness to use the Monroe Doctrine in its policies towards Latin America.
The Monroe Doctrine, which was announced by US President James Monroe in 1823, aimed to oppose European colonialism in the Americas. The document declared that any action by any European power directed against independent nations in North and South America would be considered hostile by the United States.
"Today, we proudly proclaim for all to hear: the Monroe Doctrine is alive and well", Bolton told the Bay of Pigs veterans group in Miami on Wednesday, lauding the Americas as an "incredible region" which he said "must remain free from internal despotism and external domination".
He claimed that "the destinies of our nations will not be dictated by foreign powers" and that "they will be shaped by the people who call this Hemisphere home".
In early March, Bolton also focused on the issue in an interview with CNN, during which he stressed that the US was applying the Monroe Doctrine to the situation in Venezuela. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the time slammed Bolton’s remarks as arrogant and insulting.
The Wednesday statement was made as Bolton announced a new spate of sanctions against Venezuela, including those that have been slapped on the Venezuelan Central Bank, a number of companies and nine ships.
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