Cuban-American lawmakers defend Monroe Doctrine amid progressive push to end 200-year-old policy
Cuban-American lawmakers have been quick to vocalize their opposition to progressives’ support for the repeal of the 200-year-old Monroe Doctrine. This is indicative of Cuban-Americans’ long-standing and staunch defense of the Doctrine’s assertion that the Western Hemisphere is the U.S.’s interest to protect against outside interference.
In recent weeks, both Democratic and Republican Cuban-American lawmakers have spoken in defense of the Monroe Doctrine. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) tweeted, “The Monroe Doctrine is an integral part of the inter-American system that has ensured our collective security for generations. Removing it would be irresponsible and counter-productive.”
Rep. Albio Sires (D-NJ) was equally decisive in his assessment of the Doctrine-repeal effort. He echoed the sentiment that its dissolution would weaken the U.S.’s strategic interests in the Western Hemisphere. In a recent statement, Sires argued, “These backward policies jeopardize American national security interests and put the United States in a weakened position vis-à-vis our adversaries.”
Both Diaz-Balart and Sires, along with other Cuban-American lawmakers, have joined the larger chorus of conservative lawmakers in the U.S. who have rejected the progressive push to repeal the Monroe Doctrine. While the debate on whether or not to keep the 200-year-old policy is likely to persist, Cuban-American lawmakers have made it clear that they plan to defend the Doctrine fiercely.