Only Three Caribbean Leaders Invited To Donald Trump ‘Shield Of The Americas’ Summit

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Mar. 6, 2026: Just three Caribbean leaders are set to participate in a high-level regional security summit hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump this weekend, highlighting the region’s growing role in hemispheric discussions on migration, security, and organized crime and reinforcing the Monroe Doctrine.

Lionel Messi, a soccer player for Inter Miami CF, from left, US President Donald Trump, and Jorge Mas, owner of Inter Miami CF, during an event with Inter Miami CF in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, March 5, 2026. Inter Miami CF is visiting the White House to celebrate their 2025 championship win. Photographer: Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Guyana’s President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali; Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and the Dominican Republic’s  Luis Abinader are the only Caribbean heads of government invited to the inaugural “Shield of the Americas” Summit, scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, March 7th in Doral City, Florida.

The gathering will bring together leaders from 12 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean to discuss coordinated responses on tightening security, curbing mass migration, and dismantling drug cartels across the Western Hemisphere, signaling a shift toward a more focused alliance-based approach to regional security

According to the White House, the summit is designed to strengthen regional cooperation among governments confronting similar security challenges. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the meeting will focus on building stronger partnerships to address issues affecting countries across the Americas. Ousted US DHS Secretary, Kristi Noem, has been named Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas summit. But it is unclear if Noem will be present at the summit.

In addition to Guyana, the DR and Trinidad and Tobago, leaders from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Paraguay are expected to attend the summit.

Ali and Persad-Bissessar are the only two CARICOM leaders invited as the US administration steps up its focus on organized crime, drug trafficking routes, and migration dynamics.

Guyana, one of the fastest-growing economies in the hemisphere due to its rapidly expanding oil sector, has also gained strategic importance in regional geopolitics and energy security. President Ali’s participation reflects the country’s expanding diplomatic profile as it engages more actively in hemispheric dialogue.

Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago continues to play a key role in Caribbean security cooperation and regional diplomacy. Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar’s presence at the summit signals the country’s continued involvement in discussions on regional stability and law enforcement collaboration.

The summit comes amid heightened concern across the Americas over the influence of transnational criminal organizations and the need for coordinated strategies to combat drug trafficking and organized crime networks that operate across borders.

U.S. officials say the “Shield of the Americas” Summit aims to strengthen intelligence sharing, security cooperation and policy coordination among participating governments as they confront these evolving threats. Leavitt added at the briefing the meeting aims to “promote freedom, security, and prosperity in our region.”

“President will be speaking with the leaders of this country who have really formed a historic coalition to work together to address criminal, narcoterrorist gangs and cartels and counter illegal and mass migration into not only the United States, but the Western Hemisphere, which remains a key and top priority of this President,” Leavitt said.

For the Caribbean, the participation of three of its leaders places the region within a broader hemispheric conversation on security, migration and economic stability – issues that increasingly connect Caribbean nations with developments across Latin America and the United States.

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