Paraguay’s President Backs Trump’s New Monroe Doctrine and insists on ties with TaiwanBloombergLatin America stands to benefit from President Donald Trump’s greater involvement, said Paraguay President Santiago Pena, who has emerged as one of the staunchest US allies in the region, as he also insisted on Paraguay’s ties to Taiwan. Pena was referring to the US policy of influence in Latin America outlined by President James Monroe in the 19th century. Yet he applauded Trump’s decision to launch a military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro this year. Trump has sought to contain, and even roll back, China’s presence in Latin America through his renewed version of the Monroe Doctrine. This is not a minor issue when they think about the influence of China in the Western hemisphere,” he said, adding that Paraguay’s ties to Taiwan won’t change.

Source: Taipei Times February 20, 2026 16:49 UTC