Trump to Host “Shield of the Americas” Summit at Doral with Aligned Latin Leaders

Image: from Jake Johnston X @JakobJohnston

By Open Chronicle Staff with Agencies

MIAMI, FL — President Donald Trump is set to host a high-stakes summit this Saturday at the Trump National Doral golf resort, bringing together a “historic coalition” of a dozen Latin American and Caribbean leaders. The gathering, framed under the new “Shield of the Americas” initiative, aims to consolidate a regional front against narcoterrorism, mass migration, and Chinese influence.

A Coalition of the Aligned

In a departure from traditional hemispheric summits, the White House has issued invitations exclusively to leaders aligned with the administration’s “America First” doctrine. The attendee list features several prominent right-leaning and populist figures:

• The Southern Cone: Javier Milei (Argentina), Santiago Peña (Paraguay), and José Antonio Kast (Chile).

• Central America & The Caribbean: Nayib Bukele (El Salvador), Rodrigo Chaves (Costa Rica), Luis Abinader (Dominican Republic), and Christine Kangaloo (Trinidad and Tobago).

• Andean & Northern Regions: Daniel Noboa (Ecuador), Rodrigo Paz (Bolivia), Tito Asfura (Honduras), Mohamed Irfaan Ali (Guyana), and José Raúl Mulino (Panama).

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated the summit’s objective is to “promote freedom, security, and prosperity” while dismantling “criminal narcoterrorist gangs and cartels.”

Shield of the Americas :

The Shield of the Americas is President Trump's new Western Hemisphere security initiative, formally launching at a summit this Saturday in Doral, FL. It focuses on freedom, security & prosperity across the Americas via cooperation with aligned leaders… pic.twitter.com/rpCwQLuDC1

— Fletch17 (@RealFletch17) March 5, 2026

Countering the “Dragon in the Backyard”

A primary, albeit subtler, goal of the summit is to curb China’s burgeoning footprint in the region. Analysts point to recent U.S. pressure on Chile regarding a proposed submarine cable to Hong Kong as a template for the “security-first” infrastructure policy Trump expects from his allies.

“Washington is worried about information flows that could potentially be used by the Chinese government,” said Alberto Rojas, director of the International Affairs Observatory at Finis Terrae University. Experts suggest Trump is rewriting diplomatic rules, demanding total compliance in exchange for U.S. security guarantees.

Security, Hezbollah, and the Triple Frontier

The agenda is expected to be dominated by the ongoing global conflict involving Iran. Concerns over Hezbollah‘s presence in the “Triple Frontier” (where Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay meet) have reached a fever pitch. Argentina and Paraguay have already ramped up financial monitoring and intelligence sharing ahead of the meeting.

The summit will also likely serve as the formal debut for Kristi Noem in her new role as Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas, following her recent removal as DHS Secretary.

“Trump is changing all the diplomatic rules… he needs people willing to follow his lead. It is a ‘comply or face the consequences’ scenario.” — Fernando Estenssoro, International Analyst.

Key Discussion Points Expected:

• Military Intervention: Potential regional support for operations in Cuba or against Iranian assets.

• Migration Control: Strengthening “The Shield” to physically and legally block mass migration routes.

• Resource Security: Ensuring critical minerals and energy flow to the U.S. rather than China.