Donald Trump will welcome the leaders of at least 10 Latin American countries to a golf resort in Miami on Saturday, as the US president continues his quest to transform the US's standing in the region and counter China's influence. The invitation-only Shield of the Americas summit is designed 'to promote freedom, security and prosperity in our region', according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
The guest list includes the rightwing presidents of Argentina, Bolivia, El Salvador and Paraguay, but notably excludes the leftist leaders of three of Latin America's biggest economies: Brazil, Mexico and Colombia. Brian Winter, editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly magazine, described the event as 'the VIP level of the Latin America Trump Club', attended by 'ideological fellow travellers Trump likes to take photos with'.
Since returning to power last year, Trump has launched a dramatic campaign to 'reclaim our back yard', as Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth put it. Actions have included vows to 'take back' the Panama Canal, airstrikes on alleged narco boats, overt meddling in Brazil's judicial system, threats of military intervention in Mexico and Colombia, and the abduction of Venezuela's president Nicolás Maduro. Trump also rescued Argentina's president Javier Milei with a multibillion-dollar bailout and interfered in Honduras's recent election.
Former US ambassador to Panama John Feeley, who has likened Trump's behaviour to that of fictional mob boss Tony Soprano, said: 'As a critic of him, I'm the first to admit there has not been a presidency since perhaps Kennedy that has had such a profound effect on Latin America.' Trump officials describe his 'Don-roe Doctrine' as an attempt to reduce Beijing's regional footprint and impose Washington's will through economic and military pressure.
Among those attending are Chile's ultra-conservative president-elect José Antonio Kast, who has promised a Trump-style immigration crackdown, and Ecuador's president Daniel Noboa, who this week trumpeted joint anti-drugs operations with the US. Paraguay's president Santiago Peña wrote on Instagram: 'Paraguay will be present at this important meeting that will strengthen cooperation and joint work in favour of the security and stability of our nations.'
On Thursday, Trump official Stephen Miller told Latin American military heads that drug cartels were 'the Islamic State and the al-Qaida of the western hemisphere', and that not a single square mile of territory should be under their control. Winter noted that rubbing shoulders with Trump makes sense for rightwing politicians keen to show voters they are tough on crime, as 'security is the number one issue in Latin America today'.
