Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday called US National Security Advisor John Bolton’s remarks concerning the applicability of the Monroe Doctrine to Venezuela arrogant and insulting.
“I believe that since its establishment in 1945, the United Nations has been the most universal and legitimate system for regulating international law. The theory and practice of ‘back door’ politics are insulting. This is why I believe that Latin American countries will react to John Bolton’s arrogant statement. He didn’t just imply that the Monroe Doctrine was applicable to Venezuela, he insulted all of Latin America,” Lavrov said at a joint news conference with Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed Al-Thani.
The aforementioned doctrine was announced by President James Monroe in 1823, aimed to oppose European colonialism in the Americas. The document declared all the countries of South America to be a zone of US interests.