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The Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated last Saturday during the “Shield of the Americas” summit a phrase that encapsulates the diplomatic stance of the Trump administration in the Western Hemisphere: “We want the world to see that being a friend and ally of the United States is a good thing.” The quote was published this Wednesday on X by the official account of the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the Department of State, as part of the summary of the meeting held at the Trump National Doral in Miami.
The event brought together leaders from 12 Latin American and Caribbean nations aligned with Washington to formalize a regional coalition aimed at combating drug trafficking, cartels, irregular migration, and the influence of China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba in the hemisphere. Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela were explicitly excluded from the invitation.
Rubio was the main organizer of the summit and part of his speech was delivered in Spanish to the attending leaders. “These countries are not just allies, they are friends,” he asserted. He also emphasized President Trump's commitment to the region: “The president has made this region a priority in his administration. Many presidents have said they would do it, but he has actually done it.”
Among the leaders present at the summit were Nayib Bukele (El Salvador), Javier Milei (Argentina), Daniel Noboa (Ecuador), José Raúl Mulino (Panama), Santiago Peña (Paraguay), Luis Abinader (Dominican Republic), Rodrigo Chaves (Costa Rica), and José Antonio Kast, the elected president of Chile, among others. The U.S. delegation also included Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, emphasizing the military, economic, and diplomatic nature of the alliance.
President Trump publicly thanked the work of his Secretary of State: “I want to thank Secretary of State Marco Rubio for his leadership in organizing this truly important summit.” Trump also firmly warned: “We will no longer tolerate anarchy in the hemisphere”.
The heart of the agreement is a commitment to use lethal military force to dismantle drug cartels and terrorist networks in the region. The summit is framed within the National Security Strategy 2026 of the U.S. and in what CSIS analysts describe as a new strategy to counter China's presence in the Western Hemisphere.
Rubio's statement takes on a broader dimension when considering that the Trump administration has faced international criticism for its tariff policies and its treatment of traditional allies in Europe and Asia. In this context, the summit aims to project an image of Washington as a reliable partner, at least in the hemisphere.
About Cuba, Rubio was direct: “Cuba is in its final moments”. Trump, for his part, revealed that four Latin American leaders asked him during the summit to “take care of Cuba,” and he promised to do so. Rubio concluded his remarks with a long-term projection: “We are going to do very important things for this region, for which future generations will thank the work we are doing today.”
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