Trump forms anti-cartel coalition with Latin American leaders

On Saturday, US President Donald Trump welcomed Latin American leaders to Florida, where he announced the creation of a new military coalition against drug cartels called the Shield of the Americas.

At least a dozen presidents and representatives from Central and South America and the Caribbean attended the summit. After the talks, Trump signed a declaration establishing an alliance to coordinate security operations against cartels and organised crime in the region.

‘It’s a great part of the world, but to fulfil its potential we must break the power of cartels, criminal gangs and terrible organisations,’ Trump said.

The president appointed Kristi Noem, who until recently served as secretary of homeland security, as the coalition’s special envoy.

According to analysts, the administration in Washington wants to strengthen security cooperation in the region while limiting China’s growing influence in Latin America, where Beijing has significantly expanded trade, investment and credit programmes in recent years.

(reuters, est)