Secretary of State John Kerry delivered a speech at the Organization of American States on Monday. During Secretary Kerry's speech he declared, "The era of the Monroe Doctrine is over." The Monroe Doctrine has been American policy since 1823.
Below is a transcript of Secretary Kerry’s remarks:
JOHN KERRY: In the early days of our republic, the United States made a choice about its relationship with Latin America. President James Monroe, who was also a former secretary of state, declared that the United States would unilaterally and as a matter of fact act as the protector of the region. The doctrine that bears his name asserted our authority to step in and oppose the influence of European powers in Latin America. And throughout our nation's history, successive presidents have reinforced that doctrine and made a similar choice. Today, however, we have made a different choice. The era of the Monroe Doctrine is over. (Tentative applause.) The relationship -- that's worth applauding, that's not a bad thing. (Applause.)
