Front Burner (CBC)
Episode: A veteran diplomat explains the 'Donroe Doctrine'
Date: January 13, 2026
Host: Jamie Poisson
Guest: John Feeley (former U.S. Ambassador to Panama, veteran diplomat and State Department official)
Episode Overview
This episode explores the so-called "Donroe Doctrine," a term used to describe former President Donald Trump's approach to U.S. foreign policy in Latin America. Veteran diplomat John Feeley joins host Jamie Poisson to dissect Trump's tactics, compare them to classical U.S. doctrines, and evaluate their impact on the region. The conversation highlights the differences between historical U.S. engagement and Trump's personalist, transactional model, examining implications for countries like Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and El Salvador.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Understanding the "Donroe Doctrine"
- Origins & Characterization
- Feeley explains that labeling Trump's approach as a "doctrine" is misleading. Rather, Trump's foreign policy is driven by gut instinct and personal experience, particularly his upbringing in the rough-and-tumble New York real estate environment, where mob-like tactics were common.
- Quote (John Feeley, 02:05):
“To ascribe to Donald Trump any kind of academic or historical doctrine or theory is just a fundamental mistake... His worldview is shaped by his personal experience... This is a guy who grew up in a very rough and tumble world.” - Trump’s primary lesson: “None of it matters except winning.” (03:44)
- Mob Boss Analogy
- Trump's style is likened to a mafia don, where power is transactional, loyalty is paramount, and norms or rules are disregarded unless they deliver personal benefit.
2. The Influence of Trump’s Inner Circle
- Key Players and Their Motivations
- Marco Rubio is described as having made a “Faustian bargain”—abandoning principles for proximity to power (05:00).
- Stephen Miller is considered a true ideologue, uninterested in traditional American values like inclusion or partnership (06:09).
- Others, such as Pete Hegseth, are characterized as following Trump’s lead based on personal trauma and frustration with perceived lack of accountability.
- Quote (John Feeley, 06:05):
"You have Donald Trump's gut instinct and everybody else's recognition of the power of the presidency."
3. How Trump Views Latin America
- Worldview: Control not Partnership
- Trump’s perspective is one of dominance, not cooperation.
- Quote (John Feeley, 07:23):
“They believe in vassal states that pay rent. And I think that’s what he sees in Venezuela.”
- Difference from Postwar U.S. Approach
- Feeley argues that, historically, the U.S. at least aspired to uphold a rules-based international order—even if inconsistently—whereas Trump dismisses even the pretense of shared rules.
- Quote (John Feeley, 08:45):
“You’re really going to miss American hypocrisy in the Trump era... American democracy actually did... create a rules-based system whereby at least the pretense... of a rules-based international order was going to be in our own fundamental interests.” - Historically, U.S. hypocrisy allowed for international correction; under Trump, there is no such corrective mechanism.
4. U.S. Interventions and Pretexts in Venezuela
- Examining Justifications:
- Counternarcotics: Feeley debunks Trump’s claims that Venezuela was a major source of drugs to the U.S., citing contradictory DEA data (12:02).
- Immigration Threat: The rhetoric about Venezuelan refugees is dismissed; Trump let in many, so the security rationale is weak (12:58).
- Oil Visions: U.S. interest in Venezuela’s oil doesn’t translate into direct benefit for average Americans due to commercial/investment barriers (13:52).
- Russia, China, Iran in The Region
- Iran: Minimal real presence or threat, despite official reviews (14:16).
- Russia: Some long-term ties and oil purchases, but not an existential threat (15:16).
- China: A “commercial competitor,” serious for espionage, but not a military threat in the region (15:55).
- Quote (John Feeley, 15:55):
“China bears very serious watching in Latin America, but not as a military threat… Those are just unrealistic scenarios.”
5. U.S. Relations with Colombia, Panama, Mexico, and Brazil
Colombia
- Trump’s Targeting of President Gustavo Petro
- Trump attacks Petro for being “permissive” on cocaine production in Colombia and for antagonistic rhetoric on social media, but relationship fluctuates based on personal dynamics.
- Quote (John Feeley, 17:16):
“Petro also has a problem... perhaps he has some kind of perverse wish to bring down Donald Trump’s wrath on Colombia, but he seems to know just how to push the right buttons.”
Panama
- Panama Canal Controversy
- Trump threatened to “take back” the Panama Canal—not literally, but by pressuring Panama to cancel contracts with Chinese firms and give preference to American companies (19:37).
- Feeley sees this as sabre-rattling yielding “wink and nod” arrangements: U.S. ships already have privileged passage, but Trump presses for more concessions under bombastic language (20:51).
Mexico
- Threats to Mexican Sovereignty
- Trump has discussed unilateral action against Mexican cartels—a level of pressure unprecedented in modern times.
- Quote (John Feeley, 23:27):
“The most draconian response I’ve seen... talking openly about militarily violating Mexico’s sovereignty by attacking the cartels.” - Feeley warns that Mexican sovereignty runs deep, though elite business interests are increasingly open to intervention if their interests aren’t harmed (25:00).
Brazil
- Tariffs and Personalism
- Trump imposed tariffs and sanctioned prosecutors over the Bolsonaro insurrection based on personal grievances and alliances, not economic strategy (26:30).
- Quote (John Feeley, 27:44):
“There’s no science behind this... This is just truly someone exercising raw economic power.”
6. Regional “Friends” and the Role of Pragmatism
- Favorable Treatment for Loyalists
- Argentina’s Milei and El Salvador’s Bukele gain U.S. favor by mimicking Trumpian rhetoric and aligning with U.S. preferences; both are seen by Feeley as pragmatic opportunists rather than ideological Trumpists (28:44).
- El Salvador’s crackdown on violence and civil liberties received tacit U.S. backing because it achieved results, despite erosion of democracy.
7. The Consequences of Diplomacy's Erosion
- Institutional Damage
- Feeley laments the replacement of career diplomats with political loyalists, warning this erodes crisis management capability and weakens long-term U.S. influence (30:48).
- Quote (John Feeley, 31:06):
“Diplomacy is like a limbic system of international relations... we lose that. So we kind of go through the world blind.”
- Long-Term Risks
- The U.S. risks being unable to respond effectively to development, governance, and corruption challenges due to the “hollowing out” of diplomatic expertise.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Trump's Style:
"None of it matters except winning." (John Feeley, 03:44) - Trump's View of the Americas:
"They believe in vassal states that pay rent. And I think that's what he sees in Venezuela." (07:23) - On the End of Pretend Partnership:
"You're really going to miss American hypocrisy in the Trump era." (08:45) - On U.S.-Mexico Relations:
"The most draconian response I've seen from the Americans, which is talking openly about militarily violating Mexico's sovereignty by attacking the cartels." (23:27) - On Eroding Diplomacy:
"Diplomacy is like a limbic system of international relations... we lose that. So we kind of go through the world blind." (31:06)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Trump as Mob Boss | 'Doctrine' Analogy: 01:30 – 03:44
- The Inner Circle and Faustian Bargains: 04:10 – 06:09
- U.S. Dominance over Latin America: 07:09 – 08:45
- Comparison to Rules-Based International Order: 08:45 – 11:01
- Venezuela Intervention – Justifications: 11:30 – 15:55
- Colombia as Target: 16:51 – 18:41
- Panama Canal Controversy: 18:55 – 21:44
- Mexico’s Challenges: 23:12 – 25:00
- Brazil’s Tariffs and Personal Power: 26:06 – 28:10
- Loyalists: Argentina and El Salvador: 28:18 – 30:18
- Erosion of U.S. Diplomacy: 30:18 – 32:46
Conclusion
The episode presents a candid, often critical examination of Trump's approach to Latin America, characterized by transactional relationships, the jettisoning of old norms, and the elevation of personal loyalty above institutional tradition. John Feeley’s perspective as a former diplomat brings depth and historical grounding, offering both a warning and a lament for the decline of professional diplomacy and rules-based engagement.