One year into his second presidency, Donald Trump has cemented his position as the most transformative US leader in modern times. What was once labelled an isolationist "America First" stance has fully evolved into a Hobbesian worldview, where a powerful United States freely extracts what it desires from nations perceived as weaker.
The New Rules of Engagement: Power Over Partnership
In this emerging world order, the US is expected to avoid direct military confrontation with rival superpowers like China or nuclear states such as Russia and North Korea. Instead, competition will focus on resources and cutting-edge technology, ensuring no nation surpasses American supremacy. The unspoken rule? Major powers can manage their own spheres of influence, provided they do not encroach on what Trump defines as America's backyard.
However, the administration believes this line has been crossed. China's deepening footprint in Latin America is now viewed as a direct strategic threat. Beijing has invested billions in Brazil, incorporated Colombia into its Belt and Road Initiative, and funded Argentina's lithium chloride production for batteries. It has also shifted its massive soybean purchases to Brazil, dealing a blow to American exporters, while turning Peru's Chancay Port into a regional logistics hub.
Furthermore, China's e-commerce with the region jumped by roughly 50% in 2025, linking digital infrastructure to its ambitions for data control and expanded surveillance. Militarily, it has grown its presence via arms sales, training, and partnerships, most notably with Venezuela.
The Monroe Doctrine's Violent Return
This perception of threat is rooted in a centuries-old US policy. The 1823 Monroe Doctrine declared US dominance over the Western Hemisphere, treating foreign intervention as a hostile act. Historically, the US conducted numerous interventions in Latin America, often overthrowing governments. In 2013, Secretary of State John Kerry declared this era over, promising a partnership of equals. The 2025 US National Security Strategy under Trump has dramatically reversed that, pledging to "reassert and enforce" the Monroe Doctrine.
This set the stage for the recent US military action in Venezuela and the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro. While Maduro was a dictator who ruined the economy and stole the 2024 election, the intervention's goal was not liberation. If removing tyrants was the aim, Trump's focus would be wider, not on threats to annex Greenland.
Interestingly, Trump shows little interest in genuine democratic change in Venezuela. Despite opposition leaders Edmundo González and Nobel laureate María Corina Machado winning elections, the US blocked them from power, likely deeming them too weak or liberal. Instead, Maduro's vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, seen as pliable to foreign powers, was installed as interim leader.
Resource Control: The Real Prize in Venezuela and Beyond
The National Security Strategy is clear: the US will not allow "non-Hemispheric competitors" to control strategic assets in the Americas. The true target is Venezuela's vast resources, starting with the world's largest oil reserves, of which China bought about 80%. Controlling this industry rewards American companies, denies China energy, and cripples Cuba, which bought discounted Venezuelan oil.
Trump would relish toppling the Cuban regime, winning political capital with the US Cuban community. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has hinted at direct action against Cuba. Colombia's leftist President Gustavo Petro has also faced US threats for criticising its Latin American interventions.
Beyond oil, Venezuela's potential rare-earth mineral deposits are key to high-tech industries like semiconductors. Controlling them would challenge China's supply chain dominance. This obsession with mineral wealth extends globally. The US pressured Ukraine into a profit-sharing deal for its future mineral sales, supposedly to repay defence aid. Greenland is also a target for its untapped rare-earth reserves.
While Trump claims these actions make America "respected again," many allies now see he cannot be trusted. European nations face defending Greenland from the US. Machado, who dedicated her Nobel Prize to Trump, was sidelined. The Venezuela operation may invite China to invade Taiwan and justifies Russia's war in Ukraine, paving the way for more illegal US military actions. To prevent a Hobbesian age of international relations, major powers like Germany, India, and Japan must unite to enforce rules of conduct.
