Florida, United States. U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Latin American leaders on Saturday to announce the formation of a military coalition against drug cartels, signing a proclamation to launch the initiative.
Coalition launched at “Shield of the Americas” summit
At least a dozen leaders from Central America, South America and the Caribbean attended the “Shield of the Americas” summit convened by Trump. He said the coalition is aimed at confronting drug cartels and criminal gangs.
“It’s a great part of the world, but to fill that tremendous potential, we must smash the grip of the cartels and criminal gangs and horrible organisations run by, in some cases, absolute animals and truly liberate our people,” Trump said.
Administration’s regional approach and Venezuela pressure
Trump has cited drug cartels as a primary reason for ramping up his administration’s involvement in Latin America, including pressuring Venezuela over the past several months and seizing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January.
Kristi Noem named special envoy
Trump posted on Thursday that Kristi Noem will serve as special envoy for the “Shield of the Americas.” Noem was Homeland Security secretary until Trump removed her from the post this week after mounting criticism from Congress.
Domestic projection and broader geopolitical context
The gathering gave Trump an opportunity to project strength closer to home as the conflict in the Middle East contributes to consequences such as rising oil and gas prices.
The Trump administration has also been looking for ways to counter growing Chinese influence in the region. The summit took place as Trump prepares for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing at the end of March, with the administration seeking to pull Latin America closer to Washington after years of growing Chinese trade, lending, and infrastructure investment.
Attendees and political alignment
The summit brought together conservative leaders aligned with Trump on security, migration, and economics. Attendees included Argentine President Javier Milei, Chile’s president-elect Jose Antonio Kast, and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, whose gang crackdown has been criticised by human rights groups and has become a model for parts of Latin America’s right.
What impact do you think the “Shield of the Americas” coalition could have on regional security and migration?