Milei receives new Trump endorsement and seeks investments in US visit

Argentine President Javier Milei was one of 12 right-wing Latin American leaders who took part in the launch of Shield of the Americas, an initiative by the United States leader Donald Trump aimed at uniting military forces against drug trafficking and Chinese influence in the continent. Milei is on his 15th visit to the U.S. The Shield of the Americas summit took place in Miami on Saturday, where Trump hinted once again that his endorsement helped the Libertarian win the 2025 legislative elections. “He was happy. He was a couple of points down and he went up like a rocketship, right? In Argentina,” Trump said, speaking at the summit, pointing at Milei. He also mentioned him and thanked him for being present. Trump said that many of the coalition’s members were his friends, whom he had endorsed and went on to win elections. Milei shared a handshake with Trump and exchanged a few words on the stage. Later, Trump hosted a work lunch with all the presidents invited to the event. The summit revolved around the idea of using the countries’ military force to combat transnational organized crime, especially drug cartels, in coordinated operations.  The announcement comes amid a months-long U.S. operation in the Caribbean, in which the U.S. Navy has attacked dozens of boats that were allegedly transporting drugs. Those attacks happened in the weeks leading up to the capture of Venezuela’s former president Nicolás Maduro, and in the context of continuing threats against Cuba. Trump also mentioned the need to fight terrorist organizations, citing Hezbollah, amid the U.S. and Israel’s armed conflict with Iran. The Argentine Justice believes Hezbollah was behind the terrorist attacks against the Israel embassy in Argentina in 1992 and the AMIA Jewish community center in 1994. Last week, the AMIA special prosecutor requested the indictment of ten Iranian and Lebanese suspects of the bombing. “ The only way to defeat these enemies is by unleashing the power of our military. So we have to use our military. You have to use your military,” Trump said, speaking to the Latin American leaders present at the event. Milei, who has a good relationship with Trump and is one of the right-wing leaders most aligned with his policies, was one of the Latin American presidents chosen to be part of the coalition among others such as Nayib Bukele (El Salvador), Daniel Noboa (Ecuador), Santiago Peña (Paraguay), and Chile’s president-elect José Antonio Kast, who will take office this week. Among those not invited to the summit were left-wing presidents Claudia Sheinbaum, from Mexico, and Gustavo Petro, from Colombia, arguably two of the countries of origin of most of the drugs trafficked to the U.S.  Brazil’s Lula da Silva, South America’s largest country by economy and population, and Cuba’s Miguel Díaz-Canel, were also not included. The coalition of ally countries will also seek to undermine China’s influence and strong economic presence in the region. This was originally the main focus of the summit, but the agenda veered towards security issues following the Iran bombing. Milei’s agenda After receiving an award at the Hispanic Prosperity Gala in Miami on Saturday, Milei departed to New York. On Sunday, he once again visited the tomb of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, an Orthodox rabbi considered to be one of the most important Jewish leaders of the 20th century. On Monday, he is scheduled to give a speech at Yeshiva University and later attend a gala hosted by The Algemeiner, an annual event that brings together politicians and financial leaders. In the final leg of his stay in the U.S., Milei will hold a brief meeting with J.P. Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon and will lead the opening of Argentina Week 2026 in New York. The event is an initiative promoted by the Argentine embassy together with Bank of America and J.P. Morgan itself to promote investment in the country. The Argentine president will leave the United States a little after noon on Tuesday. He will then travel to Chile to attend Kast’s presidential inauguration. The ceremony will be held at the National Congress in Valparaíso and will mark the end of Milei’s international tour before his return to Buenos Aires.