"It’s important to keep me happy” – Donald Trump

“It’s important to keep me happy” – Donald Trump

While US President Donald Trump justified the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro with the Monroe Doctrine, he didn’t stop there. He also underscored a fundamental principle that guides his foreign operations: “It’s important to keep me happy,” he told reporters. The Monroe Doctrine, proclaimed by US President James Monroe in 1823, established a key tenet of American foreign policy by opposing further European colonization or interference in the Western Hemisphere. The doctrine outlined four main principles: The US would not interfere in European affairs or existing colonies; America was closed to new European colonization; any European attempt to extend control there would be considered a threat to US security; and the New and Old Worlds should remain separate spheres. The doctrine arose from fears that European powers like Spain, France, and Russia might recolonize newly independent Latin American states or expand into North America. It was influenced by British proposals for a joint declaration. The doctrine evolved through amendments such as the Roosevelt Amendment of 1904, which justified US intervention in Latin America, and was invoked in events like the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. President Trump recently cited it in connection with Venezuela, presenting it as a tool against non-European influences like China on the continent. Maduro failed to comply with it after ignoring Trump's order to surrender—hence, he was taken by Delta Force commandos in the middle of the night to the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York. Yet, despite the US president's admonition to keep him in good spirits, with hints of possible future attacks on countries like Cuba, Colombia, and Mexico—which could very well be the case—a continent distinguished by its willingness to defy him. The arrest of Maduro was condemned sharply by African governments alike. South Africa was among the most vocal critics. The African Union, a continent-wide association of 54 recognized states, and the 15 member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) also strongly condemned Trump's gunboat diplomacy. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni even dared to bluntly challenge Washington: Should the American armed forces try the same tactics in his country, he boasted, "we can defeat them." Africa's openness and unity towards Maduro stood in stark contrast to the rather fragmented reaction of Latin America and the largely muted reactions of Europe. In Europe, only Greenland matters. Criticism of the US approach is barely audible.