Dr. the Honourable Ralph E. Gonsalves, Leader of the Opposition, today issued a profound strategic critique regarding the “New World Order” following the seismic events of January 3, 2026. Dr. Gonsalves characterized the abduction of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife by United States forces as a definitive breach of international law, signaling the enthronement of a “Donroe Doctrine” that threatens to engulf the Caribbean in a giant conflagration of “America First” unilateralism.
The Catalyst: A Breach of International Law and the End of Multilateralism
The kidnapping of President Maduro represents a topsy-turvy departure from the established global norms that have governed civilized state-to-state relations. By conflating a military and political operation with “law enforcement” justifications, the American authorities have up-ended the fundamental precepts of the United Nations Charter. While the U.S. claims this action was a pursuit of federal justice, the strategic reality is a Machiavellian drive for “regime change” and the forced acquisition of Venezuela’s oil and mineral bounty.
This act has transformed the Western Hemisphere into a Manichean struggle between a self-proclaimed, providenFally-divined “good” and a definition of “evil” that encompasses anything contrary to perceived American interests. We now stand at a moment where eschatology—the study of “last things”—assumes center-stage alongside international relations. As the horsemen of the Apocalypse (conquest, war, famine, and death) ride in tandem with asymmetrical power, the removal of Maduro serves as a revelatory “eureka moment.” It is now pellucid that the true target is the expulsion of China—America’s only peer competitor—from the hemisphere’s strategic assets, including the “Lithium Triangle” of Bolivia, Chile, and Ecuador.
The Rise of the “Donroe Doctrine” and the 2025 National Security Strategy
The ideological framework for this aggression is the “Donroe Doctrine”—a potent portmanteau of “Donald” and “Monroe.” This is the apotheosis of a fuse lit by the Obama administration in 2015, fanned by the first Trump term, and fueled by the Biden administration. Today, President Trump has armed himself with a 33-page “tablet of stone” issued from the loftiest perches of the White House: the November 2025 National Security Strategy (NSS).
The NSS asserts American preeminence through several core pillars:
• The Trump Corollary: A restoration of the Monroe Doctrine to deny non-Hemispheric competitors, specifically the People’s Republic of China, the ability to control strategically vital assets or position forces in “America’s backyard.”
• “Enlist and Expand”: A strategy to enlist established friends to control migration and narcotics while expanding influence through new partners who accept the U.S. as the security partner of choice.
• America First Unilateralism: A pragmatic, muscular approach that prioritizes U.S. sovereignty over “sovereignty-sapping” transnational organizations.
Dr. Gonsalves notes the stark contradiction within the NSS: while it praises the “Primacy of Nations,” it simultaneously enacts incursions upon the sovereignty of smaller states. The U.S. claims absolute sovereignty for itself while denying it to the Caribbean via the “Trump Corollary.” Notably, President Trump appears interested in achieving these objectives at the lowest cost possible, seeking a “deal” with the Bolivarians under interim president Delcy Rodriguez rather than a prolonged military occupation.
CARICOM at the Crossroads: Creative Resistance vs. Vassaldom
The Caribbean is currently faced with a choice between “vassaldom” and “sovereignty.” Dr. Gonsalves warns against two failed extremes: “rolling over and playing dead” (a form of neo-colonialism that reduces parliaments to local government assemblies) and “infantile resistance” (an uncompromising quest for the optimal that ignores the reality of U.S. power).
Instead, Dr. Gonsalves advocates for a “betwixt and between” strategy—a path of creative resistance and mature engagement. The region must leverage its inherent strengths, which include:
• A unique civilization of nobility and authenticity.
• An influential and committed diaspora within the United States.
• A regional consensus of the Caribbean and Latin America as a “Zone of Peace.”
• A robust commitment to international law and the UN system.
The “Death by a Thousand Cuts”: Current Tensions
CARICOM disunity has invited a “death by a thousand cuts”—a sequential deployment of non-military tools designed to force compliance. Individual states acting singly have been picked off by “America First” impositions:
| U.S. Policy Imposition | CARICOM Vulnerability |
|---|---|
| CBI Program Terminations | Allegations of security risks used to demand the end of Citizenship by Investment. |
| Visa Restrictions & Bonds | Implementation of $15,000 bonds and suspension of immigrant visa processing for 11 states. |
| Financial Weaponization | Threats to correspondent banking and U.S. dollar-clearing over China-Taiwan relations. |
| Migration Pressures | Demands to accept third-country refugees/deportees under threat of adverse travel advisories. |
Urgent Warning: The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Context
St. Vincent and the Grenadines is under intense scrutiny by the U.S. State Department, particularly Marco Rubio’s Caribbean desk and advisors like Stephen Miller. Dr. Gonsalves identifies the policies of the newly elected NDP government as “unnecessary and reckless,” posing grave dangers to the state. Specifically, the NDP’s pledge to switch diplomatic relations from Taiwan to China and the implementation of a “security-challenged” CBI program are direct provocations to the Donroe Doctrine. In a world governed by peer-competitor logic, these moves invite immediate retaliatory measures that the NDP is ill-prepared to navigate.
Call to Action: A Mandate for Mature Engagement
Dr. Gonsalves calls for an “Activist CARICOM” to pursue a unified reset with the Trump administration. This is not a call for abject subservience, but for a “mutually satisfying deal” based on practical realism.
The CARICOM Agenda for Mature Engagement must include:
• Energy Security: Securing U.S. support for the joint exploitation of the Dragon Field gas and a refashioned Petro Caribe agreement.
• Economic Transition: U.S. financial assistance to help CBI-dependent nations transition to sustainable economic models.
• Visa Liberalization: Negotiating visa-free entry for bona fide CARICOM nationals to the U.S., akin to existing arrangements with the UK and EU.
“The path forward for our independent sovereign Caribbean is difficult and complicated,” Dr. Gonsalves concluded. “In this redefined New World Order, we are, metaphorically, walking between raindrops. Yet, through deeper regional unity and a principled realism, it is the only path that preserves our dignity and our future.”
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