Trump’s version of the Monroe Doctrine

Hello, this is Darrell Castle with today’s Castle Report. This is Friday the 9^th day of January in the year of our Lord 2026. I will be discussing the raid in Venezuela and the capture, or arrest as the DOJ calls it, of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, and their criminal prosecution by US Federal authorities in the federal district court of New York. Did it benefit anyone? Was it right or wrong? Was it legal or illegal.

Why did Trump act against Maduro?

Yes, folks 2026 has barely started and it has already been quite a year. Was the capture of Maduro an indication by the administration that one year of his term is complete and now the gloves come off? I certainly think that was one of many intentions of the raid, but not the most significant by any means. What then was the real intent or reason for the raid? The truthful answer to that question is, I don’t know, and neither does anyone else. We look at it and we see the results short term. But what was in his mind, only he knows for sure.

Was it lawful? Yes, according to U.S. law

Let’s look first at the legality of the raid. In my opinion it was clearly legal if US law is the judge. The 1973 War Powers Resolution allows the president to deploy military forces however he chooses, without prior approval of congress, if he decides its in the national security interest of the United States. Its’ more than a little hypocritical for any Democrat with a microphone to scream illegal. Because they could always repeal the War Powers Act, but they don’t. Why not? Because they use it, too, and they want it available.

When Hillary Clinton rejoiced at the death of Muammar Gaddafi who was killed in a US bombing attack while apparently asleep in his bed, was that illegal? What about when George Bush sent American forces into Iraq and eventually hanged Saddam Hussein? Was that illegal? In fact, Trump should be thanked by Maduro and his supporters in congress. Because he could have sent a cruise missile through his window. But instead he arrested him. The DOJ insists this was a law enforcement action whereby a wanted fugitive was arrested in a foreign country.

What is international law, anyway?

So, the question is, what do you mean by illegal. Clearly it does not violate US law so perhaps you mean it violates your sense of consciousness or morality. Well, most of what the US government does violates my sense of morality but that is not the judge.  I guess the argument then is that it violates international law. My answer is that international law is a nebulous concept that doesn’t even exist anymore. International law was invented at Nuremberg as a way to justify dealing with Nazi war criminals when there was little real evidence of the crimes with which they were charged. In other words, it began and ended at Nuremberg.

What good came of the arrest of Maduro?

OK then, did anything good come out of the raid. Yes, lots of things, starting with the way the raid was conducted. This was perhaps the greatest and most successful special forces raid in history. Conducted in a foreign capital with very few known casualties. As I said he could have just put a warhead on Maduro’s forehead but he didn’t so in that sense the rule of law is intact. To carry that thought forward, the President has this very elite force the best of the best and he is committed to using them to accomplish his foreign policy rather than mobilizing vast armies with coalition partners at a cost of hundreds of billions.

Everyone around the world took notice and the countries you would expect voiced their disapproval, but at the same time they know he is not bluffing and when he warns that he will act it is prudent to pay attention. It was a demonstration of what the US military can do especially when you consider that Venezuela supposedly had the latest version of Russian and Chinese anti-air defense system. It was Trump’s version of, we are still here and we are still the best so pay attention.

Maduro stole an election and is better gone

The other benefit that it is hard to argue against is that Maduro is a very bad man and Venezuela will be better off without him. There was an election in 2024 which was won by Edmundo Gonzalez but Maduro used his military to hold on to the most addictive thing in the world, power. He was so bad as a leader that 20% of the Venezuelan population left the country. I personally know many Venezuelan people some of whom live here in America and some in Venezuela and they are happy he is gone. The pro Maduro crowds of young white liberals marching through the streets of New York are really anti-Trump not pro Maduro. I guess one can justify supporting a vicious dictator if it means hurting Trump.

The crowds of Venezuelan people rejoicing in the streets of Caracas are far more important than those in New York. Sometimes I think the people in such demonstrations have lost touch with reality. Certainly, they have lost touch with the needs of ordinary people if they ever had touch with them. It reminds me of when Trump sent the National Guard into the most crime ridden cities to help slow violent crime. Washington DC was the first but my city of Memphis was also included. The people in New York marching against the deployment were probably the same as the pro Maduro crowd but in the streets it was different.

Realities on the ground in Venezuela

I talked to many people in my law office who live out there with reality and that reality is constant fear of violent crime. People told me in no uncertain terms that they were glad to see the Guard on the streets and they felt safer walking or going shopping. The people of the cities worry about whether their kids will be killed in a drive by, and so they are glad for protection. So, Maduro was a very bad man who caused many to leave their country and many more were starving. Yes, he was a leader who lived in palatial luxury while his people starved.

Venezuela has one of the largest deposits of petroleum in the world but the people have no gas. We learned after Maduro’s capture that the infrastructure of pumping and getting oil to market was in such a poor state that it could take ten years to fully bring it up to speed. Venezuela has all this wealth under its soil and under its ocean but no one cared enough for the people to exploit it for their benefit. Will the American oil companies that are competing for Venezuelan oil use it for the people’s benefit. Well, that is a good question but I believe that while trump is president they will.

Who will lead after Maduro?

Right now, Venezuela is left in a highly volatile and uncertain phase of its history. Who will lead after Maduro? Delci Rodriguez, Maduro’s vice president is in charge as I record this. She talked tough, but only for a moment. And then she saw the light and started saying something like I will be glad to cooperate with the Americans and I am just glad to be here. That is of course another point: he did leave her in power and let natural progression take its course.

Opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado said that she would like to see Gomzalez given power because he won the election in 2024. But Trump seems committed to let the laws of succession take their course. So, the next several months are very uncertain and many questions remain. Will Roddriguez accommodate US pressure and demands, defy them, or perhaps some hard line socialist from Maduro’s old party, The United Socialist Party of Venezuela, will try to seize power. One thing should be obvious though and that is that the US military will be used if it becomes necessary so the leaders of that country obviously know that.

The Monroe Doctrine

So, the President is reimposing the Monroe Doctrine to protect US interests in this hemisphere. When President Monroe announced his doctrine in 1823 or 24 it was to be a two-way street. To the European colonists he said stay out of our hemisphere and we will stay out of yours. Spain had colonies so it was primarily directed at them and it eventually took the Spanish-American War to get Spain out of the Caribbean. It would be hard to argue that the US has stayed out of European affairs since the US has fought two World Wars and currently has bases and troops all over Europe. In addition, the US has China surrounded by bases and carrier battle groups so two-way street, no not yet.

Perhaps it indicates a return to the old Monroe doctrine whereby the US watches its own back yard and lets others do the same. I for one would be happy if that were the policy. In regard to that thought Trump has repeatedly referred to the Venezuelan oil deposits as “our oil.” Is he bringing a Machiavellian concept of might makes right to the table with that expression. No, he is referring to the contracts US companies had with the Venezuelan government before Hugo Chavez took power in 1998. One of Chavez’s first acts was to nationalize the oil industry thus stealing all the oil, at least from an American point of view.

A pre-Chavez understanding about the oil

So, Trump is referring back to the pre-Chavez days and saying by contract that oil is ours and you should thank me instead of criticizing me for enforcing contracts and the rule of law. None of that had anything to do with Nicolás Maduro, of course since it happened long before he took power. Chavez named Maduro as his successor from his death bed in 2010. Venezuela is supposed to have free elections. But if you know the history of that region you know that often free elections are in name only.

You’ve probably noticed that I have spent very little time on the topic of drug interdiction. That’s because the whole concept is ridiculous and had very little to do with US military action. Slowing the flow of narcotics into the US was at best a side benefit but it made for good theater. Interestingly, Bibi Netanyahu made his fifth visit to the Trump White House just before this happened. Bibi has been complaining for some time that Venezuela was allowing Iran to train its terrorists there and he wanted something done about it. So, was it an Israeli operation? I don’t know since knowing is virtually impossible but I will wager it didn’t hurt.

Does the Maduro capture really benefit the United States?

Finally, folks, from all this talk you might get the impression that I am in favor of this attack but no I’m afraid not. America first to me means that we have enough problems at home to last all of our lifetimes and I think the American people are about sick of Foreign policy. Rather than empire building or the imperialism of Pax Americana our concerns are or should be here at home. I reject these grandiose schemes in favor of home and family the way it should be. Let us raise our children in peace and prosperity and keep the price of ground beef modest.

At least that’s the way I see it,

Until next time folks,

This is Darrell Castle.

From CastleReport.us, appears by arrangement – Ed.