Image: from Secretary Marco Rubio 
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By Open Chronicle Staff
Thursday, February 26, 2026
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — In a move signaling a significant pivot in Caribbean-American relations, Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has secured an invitation to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump at the upcoming “Shield of the Americas” summit.
The announcement came on Wednesday following a private bilateral session between the Prime Minister and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the 50th CARICOM Heads of Government meeting in St. Kitts. The summit, scheduled for March 7 at the Trump National Doral in Florida, is expected to serve as a cornerstone for the Trump administration’s reassertion of Western influence across the hemisphere.
A Focus on Regional Security. While details remain emerging, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that the engagement would yield tangible benefits for the twin-island republic.
“Whatever we do is for the benefit, security, trade, prosperity, and of course safety, of the people of T&T,” Persad-Bissessar told reporters shortly after she met with Rubio.
Guyanese President Irfaan Ali, who has also confirmed his attendance, clarified that the summit will prioritize regional security coordination. International observers suggest the “Shield of the Americas” initiative is a strategic effort by Washington to counter the growing economic and political footprint of China in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Deepening Ties The invitation marks the latest in a series of high-level diplomatic engagements between the Persad-Bissessar administration and Washington since her election victory last April. Over the past year, the Prime Minister has successfully navigated complex geopolitical waters, securing an Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) license from the U.S. Treasury to pursue energy transactions despite sanctions on neighboring Venezuela.
Under the current U.S. administration, Secretary Rubio has frequently advocated for a “revival of Western dominance” in the region. For Trinidad and Tobago, this alignment appears to be translating into enhanced military-to-military cooperation and energy security concessions.
The Road to Doral Persad-Bissessar noted that T&T and Guyana are currently the only two CARICOM nations confirmed for the Florida talks, though the guest list includes leaders from Argentina, El Salvador, and Ecuador.
As the Prime Minister prepares to head to Doral next week, the eyes of the region will be on the outcome of these discussions, which many see as a litmus test for the future of Caribbean sovereignty in an era of renewed superpower competition.