President Trump Allies US, Latin America Against Violent Cartels
President Donald Trump declared on Saturday that the United States and Latin American countries are joining forces to combat violent cartels as his administration seeks to show its determination to strengthen U.S. foreign policy towards the Western Hemisphere, despite facing five major crises worldwide.
Trump urged regional leaders gathered at his Miami golf club to take military action against drug cartels and transnational gangs, which he deemed an “unacceptable threat” to national security in the hemisphere.
“The only way to defeat these enemies is by unleashing the power of our military,” explained Donald Trump. “We must use our military. You must use your military.”
Referencing the U.S.-led coalition that battled the Islamic State group in the Middle East, the Republican president emphasized that “we must now do the same to eradicate cartels at home.”
The meeting, labeled by the White House as the “Shield of the Americas” summit, took place just two months after Trump ordered a bold military operation to capture former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and bring him to the U.S. to face drug trafficking charges.
Notably, Trump’s recent decision to partner with Israel in a war against Iran has caused hundreds of casualties, shaken global markets, and destabilized the entire Middle East.
During his brief time with Latin American leaders, Trump later visited Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to witness the solemn transfer of six U.S. soldiers killed in a drone strike on a command center in Kuwait, following the launch of the American-Israeli military campaign against Iran.
With this summit, Trump aimed to focus on the Western Hemisphere, reaffirming U.S. dominance in the region and pushing back against what he views as years of Chinese economic encroachment in America’s backyard.
Trump also stated that the U.S. would turn to Cuba after the conflict with Iran, hinting at a potential agreement with Havana and underscoring Washington’s increasingly confrontational stance towards the communist leaders of the island nation.
“Big changes are coming to Cuba,” he said, suggesting that “they are really at the end of the line.”
The Attendees
Leaders from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago joined the Republican president at the Trump National Doral Miami, a golf resort where he is set to host the G-20 summit later this year.
The idea of a summit uniting conservative leaders across the hemisphere arose from the ashes of what was supposed to be the tenth Summit of the Americas, canceled last year due to increased U.S. military presence off the coast of Venezuela.
Under pressure from the White House, the Dominican Republic, scheduled to host the summit, banned Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela from participating in the regional gathering. However, after left-leaning leaders in Colombia and Mexico threatened to withdraw in protest, and with no commitment from Trump to attend, Dominican President Luis Abinader decided last-minute to postpone the event, citing “profound differences” in the region.
The name “Shield of the Americas” was intended to reflect Trump’s vision of an “America First” foreign policy towards the region, leveraging U.S. military resources and intelligence services, dominant in the region since the end of the Cold War.
The two dominant powers in the region, Brazil and Mexico, along with Colombia, a longstanding linchpin in U.S. drug trafficking strategy in the region, notably were absent from the event.
