By Diego Vargas, Media Hook
Trump Warns of ‘Imminent Action’ Against Cuba at ‘Shield of Americas’ Summit With 12 Regional Leaders
President Donald Trump convened twelve Latin American heads of state at his Doral, Florida golf resort Saturday for the “Shield of the Americas” summit — a one-day gathering the White House framed as a coordinated military and economic push against narcotics cartels and what it calls “axis of authoritarianism” in the hemisphere.
In opening remarks, Trump declared that action against Cuba is “imminent and unavoidable” — without specifying whether the response would be military or economic — and described Havana as “the single greatest threat to regional stability.”
The summit drew leaders from Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Paraguay, Panama, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Honduras. Bolivian President Luis Arce was notably absent, sending a deputy instead. Argentine President Javier Milei attended in person after weeks of reportedly resisting pressure from Washington to cut Beijing ties. His office confirmed Argentina signed a side memorandum pledging to review Chinese tech contracts in critical infrastructure.
Trump unveiled a revamped “war on drugs” framework — backed by a new executive order allowing secondary sanctions on foreign banks that process cartel-related transactions — and announced $800 million in U.S. security aid to Colombia, Mexico and Central America. He also floated the idea of a “hemispheric defense treaty” that would give the United States legal standing to conduct unilateral operations inside any signatory nation against designated terrorist or cartel groups.
The proposal immediately triggered objections. Colombian President Gustavo Petro — attending despite an ongoing ICC arrest warrant controversy — said any treaty granting extraterritorial rights would be “a return to the Monroe Doctrine and a declaration of war on Latin American sovereignty.” Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira called the framework “a starting point, not a finished product,” noting Brazil’s constitutional ban on foreign military operations in its territory.
Milei’s attendance marked a sharp shift from his predecessor’s foreign policy. His government had previously signaled interest in joining BRICS; Saturday’s appearance reflects a deliberate realignment toward Washington. Argentine officials, speaking on background, said the memorandum on Chinese contracts was not yet binding and described it as “a gesture to open the next chapter of trade negotiations.”
Cuban state media, monitored in Havana, called the summit “a declaration of war on the Cuban people” and reported that Miguel Diaz-Canel convened an emergency session of the Council of State. Raul Castro’s statement from Saturday — backing street protests and calling for dialogue — was cited by Cuban state media as a direct counter to Washington’s narrative.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on the sidelines that a final communique would be released Sunday and that “all options remain on the table” regarding Cuba. He declined to elaborate on timeline or scope.
Diego Vargas, Media Hook Latin America.