Venezuela Claims Capture of CIA-Linked Group Planning False-Flag Attacks on U.S. Ships

The Monroe Doctrine, a 19th-century U.S. policy asserting dominance over the Western Hemisphere, has been revived under President Donald Trump's administration as a justification for increased military presence and interventions in Latin America, particularly the Caribbean. Venezuela recently alleged a CIA-backed false-flag plot to attack U.S. warships, which fits into a historical pattern of U.S. actions to create crises as pretexts for intervention and resource control. Trump's military buildup in the region, including strikes on drug trafficking boats and threats against Venezuelan and Colombian governments, is framed by his administration as protecting America from narco-terrorism, with Republican leaders emphasizing a robust application of Monroe Doctrine principles. Critics warn that this approach represents a chaotic and dangerous policy, reflecting a continued struggle within the U.S. government to break from imperialistic tendencies despite populist rhetoric. Meanwhile, commentators highlight that Trump's administration, like predecessors, faces challenges in controlling the entirety of government policy, underscoring tensions between America First populism and established foreign policy practices. This resurgence of Monroe Doctrine thinking signifies a strategic retreat from empire in rhetoric but reveals ongoing imperial ambitions in practice.