Socialist Congressional Nominees Join International Leftist Push Against Trump’s ‘Donroe Doctrine’

Several Democratic Socialists of America-backed congressional nominees are traveling to Uruguay this week to join a left-wing international conference aimed at opposing President Donald Trump’s foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere.

New York Assemblywoman Claire Valdez, New York activist Darializa Avila Chevalier, and Pennsylvania state Rep. Chris Rabb — all three DSA members who won Democratic congressional primaries this year — will attend the Pan-American Congress in Montevideo as “special guests” of a congressional delegation led by Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL). New Jersey Democratic congressional candidate Adam Hamawy, who is not a DSA member but has embraced many of the same left-wing causes, is also attending.

The gathering, scheduled for August 21-23, will bring together left-wing political leaders from across North America, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

For Valdez, Avila Chevalier, and Rabb, all of whom are running in heavily Democratic districts, the trip also offers an early look at the foreign-policy priorities they could bring to Capitol Hill next year.

Valdez, who is expected to succeed retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez in New York’s heavily Democratic 7th Congressional District, said she intends to promote “international solidarity and cooperation — not imperialism, war and extraction.”

“The threats we face, from climate change to mass displacement to the rise of fascism, don’t stop at borders, and neither can our response,” Valdez told Politico.

Conference organizers have similarly framed the participation of the incoming lawmakers as part of a broader effort to reshape the United States’ role in the hemisphere.

“These inspiring leaders won their primaries on a promise to pursue a new place and purpose for the United States in the international community — and that project starts right here in the hemisphere,” said David Adler, the Pan-American Congress’ general coordinator.

The delegation comes as the Trump administration has moved to assert a more aggressive U.S. presence in the Western Hemisphere through what the administration has dubbed the “Donroe Doctrine.” The administration has emphasized combating drug trafficking, illegal immigration, and foreign adversaries in the Americas, while seeking to strengthen relationships with governments willing to cooperate with the United States.

The Democratic delegation, however, is traveling to Uruguay with the stated goal of building opposition to that approach. Jayapal, 9 other House Democrats, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) last week sent Secretary of State Marco Rubio a letter condemning the administration’s application of the “Trump Corollary,” arguing that it amounts to “a license for unlimited foreign intervention.”

The lawmakers accused the administration of using military force without congressional authorization, economic sanctions and tariffs as “collective punishment,” and political pressure to influence elections in sovereign countries.

“Taken together, the interventions conducted under the banner of the ‘Donroe’ Doctrine appear to follow a partisan playbook,” the lawmakers wrote. “These are tactics that destabilize our hemisphere and endanger our neighbors.”

The emerging Democratic opposition to the policy is notable not simply because of the current congressional delegation, but because of who is preparing to join it. Valdez and Avila Chevalier are among a new generation of DSA-backed politicians who have successfully defeated Democratic establishment candidates in deep-blue districts.

Valdez, a former union organizer, defeated Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and other candidates in the Democratic primary to succeed Velázquez. She was endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the self-described democratic socialist whose political movement has helped propel a new generation of socialist candidates into office. 

Avila Chevalier defeated five-term Democratic Rep. Adriano Espaillat in New York’s 13th Congressional District. The 32-year-old organizer has spent years working on immigration and Palestinian causes and has helped organize the Columbia University protests following Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel. She also received endorsements from Mamdani and the DSA. 

Rabb defeated Democratic establishment favorite Sharif Street in Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District, another overwhelmingly Democratic seat. The DSA-backed candidate has advocated for Medicare for All, universal basic income, guaranteed housing, and the abolition of ICE, among other left-wing policies.

Rabb has also rejected the premise of describing illegal immigration as inherently criminal and said he wants to end deportations. “What are illegals?” Rabb asked when Fox News host Sean Hannity pressed him on whether he supported amnesty for illegal immigrants and the abolition of national borders.

Valdez, Avila Chevalier, and Rabb are heavily favored to join the House next year, while other DSA-aligned candidates are competing for additional seats.

The Pan-American Congress was founded as a forum for left-wing political leaders from across the Americas to coordinate on regional issues and develop a shared political vision.

This year’s gathering will give several likely future members of Congress a chance to begin building those relationships before they take office, as Democrats intensify their fight with the Trump administration over the future of U.S. policy in the Western Hemisphere.