U.S. President Donald Trump convened the Shield of the Americas summit in Miami for allied Latin American leaders, but excluded Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia due to ideological differences. The event aims to strengthen cooperation on security, migration, and organized crime. It will take place on March 7 at a resort owned by Trump.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the regional Shield of the Americas summit, a meeting with Latin American leaders to strengthen alliances on security, migration, and organized crime. The gathering will take place on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at the Trump National Doral Miami, a golf resort owned by the president, which will also host the G20 Summit later in the year.
According to a U.S. State Department note, the initiative aims to promote freedom, security, and prosperity in the region, working together to end foreign interference, gangs, criminal cartels, and illegal immigration. It invites 12 countries with governments aligned to the Trump administration's vision, including Argentina (Javier Milei), El Salvador (Nayib Bukele), Chile (José Antonio Kast, who will assume office on March 9), Bolivia, Costa Rica (Rodrigo Chaves), Ecuador (Daniel Noboa), Guyana (Irfaan Ali), Honduras (Nasry Asfura), Panama (José Raúl Mulino), Paraguay (Santiago Peña), Dominican Republic (Luis Abinader), and Trinidad and Tobago (Kamla Persad-Bissessar).
Mexico, led by Claudia Sheinbaum, was not invited, nor were Brazil (Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva) and Colombia (Gustavo Petro), despite their key roles in trade and security. Analysts view this exclusion as an attempt to update the Monroe Doctrine, prioritizing ideological affinities. Benjamin Gedan of the Stimson Center calls it an error to exclude these countries given their importance in fighting organized crime. In contrast, Jason Marczak of the Atlantic Council notes that the region welcomes Washington's priorities and that the U.S. continues cooperating with Mexico, such as in the recent operation against 'El Mencho'.
The summit is positioned as a parallel forum to the OAS Summit of the Americas, promoting a rightward shift in the region through interventions in recent elections.
