In November last year, US President Donald Trump’s administration published its national security strategy, a 33-page document that defined its view of the world. To the surprise of many in Washington — and in capitals around the world — the report identified the administration’s foremost priority to be the Americas.
Rather than competition with China, or preserving peace and security in Europe, the document said that “after years of neglect”, the principal objective of US foreign policy is to “restore American pre-eminence” in the western hemisphere.
Since the early 19th century, American presidents have sometimes invoked the Monroe Doctrine, which sought to deny foreign rivals access to the region. The document added a so-called “Trump Corollary”, which added the goal of preventing competitors owning or controlling “strategically vital assets” in the hemisphere.