Donald Trump convened a summit of 12 Latin American leaders at his Miami-area golf club on Saturday, calling for a regional coalition to combat drug cartels and counter Chinese influence. The gathering, dubbed the 'Shield of the Americas' summit, included leaders from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Trump proposed a 'counter-cartel coalition' similar to the one formed against Isis, stating that 'the epicenter of cartel violence is Mexico' and that cartels are 'fueling and orchestrating much of the bloodshed and chaos in this hemisphere'. He praised Mexico's president Claudia Sheinbaum, who was not present, but maintained that cartels 'are running Mexico'.
Kristi Noem, who stepped down as DHS secretary on Thursday to become US special envoy to the coalition, spoke at the summit. She said the group would work together to defend sovereignty, security, and economic prosperity, adding that 'now that America is secure, we want to focus on our neighbors'.
The summit came two months after a US military operation captured Venezuela's former president Nicolás Maduro, and less than two weeks after US intelligence helped capture drug lord Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes in Mexico. Trump also complimented Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodríguez and predicted Cuba's collapse, saying 'Cuba is in its last moments of life'.
Trump outlined what he called the 'Donroe doctrine', vowing to counter Chinese influence in the hemisphere, including the Panama Canal. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio thanked the regional leaders for their support, contrasting them with allies who 'may not be there for you'. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US had focused too long on borders abroad rather than its own hemisphere.
