The President of the United States invited Latin American leaders to participate in a summit in Florida on March 7, under the name «Shield of the Americas».

The meeting is part of the objectives of the National Security Strategy, in which the United States seeks to revive the so-called “Monroe Doctrine” to regain influence over Latin America. The meeting aims to strengthen regional cooperation against drug trafficking and contract killings.

The update to this doctrine aims to curb China’s influence in Latin America. This meeting will take place weeks before Trump’s planned trip to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

According to the invitation, Trump invited presidents with whom he has shared some ideological affinity, such as the leaders of Bolivia, El Salvador, Honduras, Paraguay, Argentina, and Costa Rica. José Antonio Kast, who will be sworn in as president of Chile on March 11, is also expected to attend.

Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves said he will accompany President-elect Laura Fernández, winner of the February 1 elections, who will assume power on May 8.

Rodrigo Chaves said that in Latin America, the values ​​professed by his government and that of Fernández are being consolidated, which he defined as:

“«Economic liberals and social conservatives, plus a firm hand against crime, to have a strong and solid democracy.»

The invitation comes months after the cancellation of the Summit of the Americas that was to be held in the Dominican Republic in December 2025. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio supported the decision and said he would organize a “productive event” in 2026.

The controversy arose because the Dominican Republic said it would not invite the governments of Nicaragua, Cuba, and Venezuela; due to this exclusion, the president of Mexico and the president of Colombia announced that they would not attend.

The summit organized by Donald Trump highlights the breakdowns in multilateral negotiation systems and divides the continent between those who support the US president and those who distance themselves.