The Donroe Doctrine: Venezuela and the World Disorder by Dr Khalid Shibib
Abstract
Attacking Venezuela and the abduction of its President Nicolas Maduro by the United States on January 3rd, 2026, raised questions and answered others across the globe. Statements of President Trump and members of his team continue to rudely threaten Venezuela and other countries in Latin America and beyond, clearly introducing a new global political language and a new world order. Outstanding is also the demand to “have” Greenland and the reactions within the United States and countries of the “Global West”.
Introduction
The emerging new multi-regional world order, described in general terms in the “National Security Strategy of the United States of America” (The White House, November 2025) is to be led by the United States.
This US new approach, first declared during the 2019 Munich Security Conference, did not announce a single "new strategy" but rather emphasized its "America First" approach, pushing allies for higher defence spending (2% NATO goal), and questioning multilateralism. However, the new “National Security Strategy of the United States of America” which was presented during the 2025 Munich Security Conference, mentioned the Western Hemisphere and defined the US relation with the world regions, shifting US focus towards economic security and still emphasizing the notion of “America First”. Europe was requested to do and pay more for its security. Europe was also criticized for its “civilizational erasure” due to migration and declining birth rates resulting in a changed demography. It signalled a departure from liberal internationalism for a “power realism” approach focused on national interest.
The United States is “again” leading a global system change. This new system foresees the world of three regional superpowers in which the US controls the Americas and the majority of European countries (not the EC as such), China (Southeast Asia) and Russia (Eurasia) being seen as the two other regional powers.
The problem of the Trump Administration is that “One World” as formulated by President Woodrow Wilson. i.e. the world of globalization and internationalization continues to exist “in parallel”. For that reason, this “now old” system must be destroyed and replaced (Shibib, 2025 ). The German President but also others (Carbasse, 2025) criticized the new US measures as “destroying the World Order”.
Without elimination of the existing global power system, US quasi-colonial interventions will be measured and treated within the existing “old “rules and values (of the “One World” of united sovereign nations) and will also be globally condemned as illegal.
This new external political doctrine is combined with internal presidential centred system within the United States itself with President Trump using executive orders, commander-in-chief authority and emergency powers, sometimes against constitutional bodies. There was increasing limitations of freedom of expression and weakening the social security and health systems. As an example, the US constitutional bodies were informed only through the media on attacking Venezuela and the abduction of President Maduro, causing protests and heated debates, that are ongoing.
Inside the Global West
Almost a month after the release of the US Security Strategy, the US stroked Venezuela and kidnapped President Maduro who was brought for trial in New York. President Trump repeatedly stated that the USA will “manage” Venezuela, referring to the rich oil and other mineral resources in the country as property of the US. The frankness /offensiveness with which the Trump Administration declared and justified the Venezuela invasion was groundbreaking as it replaces the usual “refined” logic of human rights, democracy, international law and civilization. These slogans were frequently used by Western powers to justify the overt invasions and covert operations to subjugate third world countries. It is about oil, gold, other rare earth elements (REE) and money.
Apart from threatening the government of Maduro’s successor, Ms. President Delcy Gómez (sworn in as acting president on 5 January 2026), President Trump and his administration also threatened to target other countries, including Cuba, Columbia and Mexico. Outside the “Western Hemisphere”, Iran (currently experiencing mass demonstrations and violent bloody unrest) was also repeatedly threatened.
Of outstanding significance is the repeated targeting of Greenland as a top US security priority, justifying it with Russian and Chinese presence and threats there.
The United States has a military presence in Greenland, regulated by the agreement of 1951 (Department of State 2004), and US companies could invest and work in Greenland, as in any part of Denmark. For that, the repeated rather rude demands (combined with threats) of “having” Greenland looks unjustified and triggered fear and uncertainty in Greenland, whose population opposes the US endeavour (Briant & Rankin 2026), as well as in Denmark and Europe. While the Trump administration repeatedly declared the possibility of using force, the EU ruled out such option, considering military support to Greenland in the framework of a NATO mission. Politically, the fragmented EU would be unable to deliver an effective coherent deterrence when the US “takes over” Greenland. An occupation of Greenland will kill the NATO, as the Prime minister of Denmark stated (Briant 2026). This will inevitably damage the EU, which membership largely overlaps with that of the NATO .
For the Superpower USA, it may well be easier to push through its agenda and interest, working with individual EU members rather than with entire coherent EU body. Created to establish permanent peace in a war-torn continent, the European Union evolved despite its governances’ weaknesses, into a strategic autonomous power and as an economic competitor, ranking third economic superpower, following the USA and China.
Looking at the western world map, one can see how dramatic the encirclement of Canada would be through an “enlarged” United States (the United State plus an annexed Greenland). President trump repeated demands annexation of Canada as the 51st state of the United States were never withdrawn and are still valid. The annexation of Greenland will dramatically reduce the size of the Europe in favour of the US and the so called “Western Hemisphere”
Outside the Global West: targeting the United Nations system
The “demonstrative” departure of the US of over 60 international organisations, including 33 UN and UN related organisations (The White House, January 7, 2026), threats, sanctions and measures against the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC), including threats against their staff, as well as the persistent anti UN logic send a clear message across the world.
Ceremonially supporting Israel’s genocide in Gaza, which continues after President Trump’s negotiated ceasefire, and the ethnic cleansing in Palestine is an outstanding indicator of disrespect of international laws and norms. President Trump’s “granting” the occupied Syrian Golan to Israel, and his recognizing the annexation of East Jerusalem during his first presidency term, are all outstanding demonstrative violations of international laws. The tone and style used to declare the US withdrawal from internationalism is “part of the plan/process” that should be concluded as soon as possible. Granting non-US territories to third party must alarm countries across the world. The Palestinians well remember the Balfour declaration issued even before British troops complete the occupation of Palestine.
US military interventions outside the United Nations Charter is not a speciality of the new Trump Administration. Apart from numerous “informal” engagements of toppling governments in Latin America and elsewhere in the third world, the US-led interventions/wars in Iraq, Panama, Grenada, Libya, Syria and Afghanistan (in which several western countries participated) were not covered by international law. So far, all these wars were “justified” as saving civilians, eliminating dictatorships, introducing democracy and fighting against terror. On the other hand, the attack against Venezuela was justified as an action against drug network. However, President Trump administration declared the US interest in Venezuela: control of oil, gold and other rare earth elements, shortly after assaulting Venezuela.
Conclusions
Recently, ongoing and planned US invasions and expansion are officially justified by the US direct colonial interest. These frank self-interest justifications and the rudeness of the political discourse (also with partners) are not accidental deviations of political style, but essential part of the new approach to accelerate the replacement of the existing world order, which continue to hinder the emergence of planned global system change. The new multi-regional world order, to be also led by the United States, can only be established on the ruins of the existing world order (the “One World” order, also established, financed and led by the United States following WW2). The new narrative and language are parts of the strategy and are signs of urgency and institutional anxiety that accompany this process.
The replacement of the world order may not smoothly function as desired by its US master. Besides the planned up-down mechanics, transversal changes cannot be controlled. The change of world order will not follow the one “either-or “pattern between two systems, but would chaotically pass through variable phases and speeds, resulting in formation of states, regions and organizations of diverse forms. This patchy forms of political systems might persist for long time, blocking or existing on side of the planned global system.
References
Bryant, M, (January 6, 2026): “US attack on Greenland would mean end of Nato, says Danish PM”. The Guardian. At: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/05/trump-must-give-up-fantasies-about-annexation-says-greenland-pm
Bryant, M., Rankin, J. (Januray 2026): New opinion poll shows 85% of Greenlanders do not want to join US, The Guardian: At: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/28/85-of-greenlanders-do-not-want-to-join-us-says-new-poll
Carbasse, M (2025), L’année du basculement de l’ordre mondial, Le Devoir (31 décembre 2025). At: https://www.ledevoir.com/monde/944829/2025-annee-basculement-ordre-mondial?
Department of State (2004): “Agreement between the United States of America and Denmark Amending and Supplementing the Agreement of April 27, 1951 Signed at Igaliku, August 6, 2004 with Joint Declarations” At: https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/04-806-Denmark-Defense.done_.pdf
Reuter: German President says the US is destroying the World order” At: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/german-president-says-us-is-destroying-world-order-2026-01-08/
The White House (2025): “National Security Strategy of the United States of America. November 2025”. At: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-National-Security-Strategy.pdf
The White House (January 7, 2026): “Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Withdraws the United States from International Organizations that Are Contrary to the Interests of the United States” At: https:// www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2026/01/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-withdraws-the-united-states-from-international-organizations-that-are-contrary-to-the-interests-of-the-united-states

