On the 200^th anniversary of its announcement to the US Congress by President James Monroe, Representative Nydia Velasquez (D-NY) introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives calling for the annulment of the Monroe Doctrine. This Doctrine, as Rep. Velasquez’ stated, has been used to justify American intervention in Latin American affairs throughout the policy’s history. The Doctrine, issued by President Monroe on Dec. 2, 1823, stated that any interference in the Americas by a European power would be viewed as a hostile act by the United States. In 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt added the Roosevelt Corollary, which stated that the United States could become involved in a Latin American country’s internal affairs in cases of what the US judged as “wrongdoing” by that Latin American country.

Learn more about the House Resolution here!

House Resolution 943 is also co-sponsored by Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) Jesus Chuy Garcia (D-IL), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), and Greg Casar (D-TX). Rep. Casar said in the press release announcing the resolution, “U.S. foreign policy has too often contributed to instability in Latin America. Instead of toppling duly-elected governments, we can support democracy, grow our economies, and reduce forced migration. Instead of sanctions that starve our neighbors, we can work together to solve the climate crisis. We can begin charting this new way forward by eliminating the outdated Monroe Doctrine.”

The Resolution calls for a new approach to promoting development based on a respect for the integrity of the sovereign economic development plans of the region’s governments. The United States has supported many coups in Latin America and the Caribbean because US leaders found a country’s development plans to be “socialist” or in another way offensive to the US government. 

HR 943 has been sent to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, presumably to the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. The members of that subcommittee are Maria Salazar (R-FL), Mark Green (R-TN), Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Waren Davidson (R-OH), Keith Self (R-TX), John James (R-MI), Ranking Minority Member Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL). If your Representative sits on that subcommittee, make a special point of contacting them. 

The Resolution will need additional co-sponsors in order to make any progress in the House of Representatives. Please contact your Representative asking them to co-sponsor this important Resolution. It is rare that there is a measure before Congress that we can wholeheartedly back and we should pull out all the stops to build awareness of and support for the Resolution! The World Beyond War action alert was endorsed by Code Pink and Roots Action. We will work to bring other groups to work on supporting the Resolution which would bring a major change to US Foreign Policy if it were to pass!