Milei reaffirms alliance with Trump at ‘Shield of the Americas’ summit

President Javier Milei reaffirmed his political alliance with his US counterpart Donald Trump on Saturday as he attended the “Shield of the Americas” summit in Florida.

Argentina’s government said the summit – attended by 12 Latin American leaders – was a chance to “promote strategies to curb foreign interference in our hemisphere, combat organised crime and drug-trafficking, and respond to the problem of illegal immigration.”

In posts on social media, the Milei administration said the aim of the “Shield of the Americas” initiative is to “promote freedom, security and prosperity” across the American continent.

Also taking part in the summit were presidents Rodrigo Paz (Bolivia), , Rodrigo Chaves (Costa Rica), Luis Abinader (Dominican Republic), Daniel Noboa (Ecuador), Nayib Bukele (El Salvador), Mohamed Irfaan Ali (Guyana), Nasry Asfura (Honduras), José Raúl Mulino (Panama), Santiago Peña (Paraguay), Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and incoming Chile president-elect José Antonio Kast.

The La Libertad Avanza leader’s decision to travel reaffirms his political commitment and the close relationship between Argentina and the United States, said government sources. 

This initiative, which Trump said is focused on the eradication of drug cartels and their terrorist networks, puts the deployment of force on the public agenda.

“The only way to defeat our enemies is by relying on our military capabilities,” Trump said, drawing a parallel with operations carried out against ISIS in the Middle East.

Milei travels to New York on Sunday. On Sunday March 8, International Women’s Day, the President will pause his official schedule and visit the grave of the Lubavitcher Rebbe in the morning.

On Monday he will give a lecture at Yeshiva University and end the day with a speech at a gala. On Tuesday he will meet JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon and formally open the Argentina Week 2026 roadshow in New York.

On his way back to Buenos Aires, Milei will stop in Chile to attend Kast’s inauguration on Wednesday. 

Trump offers military power

During the summit, Trump urged Latin American nations to use military power against the "cancer" of drug cartels, offering to support them with US missile strikes targeting narco kingpins.

The Republican Party leader laid out a muscular position for advancing Washington's interests in the Western hemisphere, pronouncing that Communist-led Cuba was "in its last moments of life.” 
He also advocated tough action by allies against organised crime blighting the region.

He formally launched a 17-nation "counter cartel" coalition that the White House described as a pledge from governments to use "hard power" against security threats.

"We're working with you to do whatever we have to do. We'll use missiles. You want us to use a missile? They're extremely accurate," Trump told a dozen right-wing leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean at his Doral golf club near Miami.

"'Piu,' right into the living room," he said, suggesting the sound of a missile in flight. "That's the end of that cartel person. But we'll do whatever you need."

Trump has already staked bold claims in Latin America with the ouster of Venezuela's authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro and working with his replacement, Delcy Rodríguez, to claim Venezuelan oil reserves for America.

Trump urged regional leaders to use military force to stamp out criminal organisations, which he likened to a cancer, saying "We don't want it spreading."

"The only way to defeat these enemies is by unleashing the power of our militaries. We have to use our military," he said.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel posted on X that the "neocolonial" gathering of right-wing leaders "commits them to accepting the lethal use of US military force to solve internal problems."

Trump doubled down on his recent warnings toward Cuba, which he has implied could be "next" after taking out leaders in Venezuela and Iran. "I'll take care of Cuba," Trump told the leaders.

"They have no money, they have no oil. They have a bad philosophy, they have a bad regime that's been bad for a long time," he said, adding, "Cuba's in its last moments of life."

– TIMES/AFP/NA