Trump to Meet Latin American Leaders Ahead of China Trip

The Trump administration has worked to reestablish U.S. leadership in the Western Hemisphere, where China has built significant influence.

President Donald Trump waves as he boards Air Force One before departing from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Feb. 13, 2026. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

President Donald Trump has invited Latin American leaders to a summit in Miami on March 7, a White House official confirmed to The Epoch Times.

The expected attendees are yet to be announced.

The meeting comes ahead of Trump’s trip to Beijing, set to take place in the coming weeks, where he will meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The Trump administration has worked to reestablish U.S. leadership in the Western Hemisphere, where China has deepened ties with considerable loans, trade deals, and infrastructure projects.

“The Western Hemisphere must be the hemisphere of freedom and democracy—tyranny has no place here!” Rep. Carlos A. Giménez (R-Fla.) wrote on X on Feb. 12. “President Trump and Secretary [of State] Marco Rubio have reprioritized our neighbors to bolster our economies, strengthen our alliances, and protect the United States of America!”

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, this week hosted defense chiefs from 34 countries in the region. War Secretary Pete Hegseth told the group that the United States desires to “achieve a permanent peace in this hemisphere.”

The summit follows recent U.S. actions, including a bold military operation last month to remove former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, who was transported to New York to face federal drug conspiracy charges. Trump has said that the intervention is necessary amid foreign threats to Venezuela’s oil sector.

“One thing I think everyone has to know is that if we didn’t do this, China or Russia would have done it,” Trump told oil industry officials at a White House meeting shortly after Maduro’s capture.

China is a main buyer of Venezuelan oil. However, Venezuela represents a minor portion of Beijing’s total imports.

Trump has suggested that the United States reclaim control of the Panama Canal. The president said that the waterway is “vital to our country.”

The Panama Canal was built by the United States in the early 1900s and transferred to Panama in 1999. Panama’s high court recently voided a contract with Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison for two ports.

Trump has warned of China’s growing influence in Panama. U.S. military leaders visited the country to bolster cooperation to curb Beijing’s influence over the canal area.

In Peru, a court ruling limited local oversight of the Chinese-built Chancay deepwater port. The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs stated on social media on Feb. 11 that “Peru could be powerless to oversee Chancay, one of its largest ports, which is under the jurisdiction of predatory Chinese owners.”

“We support Peru’s sovereign right to oversee critical infrastructure in its own territory,” the department stated. “Let this be a cautionary tale for the region and the world: cheap Chinese money costs sovereignty.”

Chancay could serve military purposes for China. It could be used for resupplying vessels amid concerns over Beijing’s “medical ship” patrols in Latin America, potentially serving strategic goals. U.S. officials have suggested taxing Chinese investments in such ports to manage risks.

The Miami summit represents a key step in Trump’s strategy to rally allies, potentially reshaping regional dynamics ahead of his China talks.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.