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US President Donald Trump convened a high-stakes summit on Saturday at his Doral golf club in Florida, hosting a dozen right-wing leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean.
Dubbed the “Shield of the Americas,” the gathering aims to solidify U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere—a strategy referred to as the “Donroe Doctrine.”
The discussions are primarily focused on combating organised crime and illegal immigration while simultaneously curbing the regional interests of foreign powers like China.
The summit takes place against a backdrop of significant global tension, following recent joint U.S.-Israeli military strikes against Iran.
Having already overseen the ouster of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro and secured access to that nation’s oil reserves through his successor, Delcy Rodriguez, Trump has recently hinted that Cuba may be his next target.
Regional leaders in attendance, including Argentina’s Javier Milei and El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele, appear increasingly open to U.S. intervention as they grapple with a violent reconfiguration of the drug trade.
Despite the show of unity among conservative heads of state, experts warn that the coalition’s stability may be fragile.
The notable absence of the region’s two largest economies, Mexico and Brazil—both currently under leftist leadership—could hamper efforts to effectively dismantle trafficking supply chains and maritime routes.
Critics also point out that the summit’s “negative agenda,” which focuses almost exclusively on security threats to the U.S., may eventually test the patience of Latin American populations.
