Haiti left off guest list for Trump’s ‘Shield of the Americas’ summit in Florida

Haiti is not invited to the regional “Shield of the Americas” security summit hosted today in Doral, Florida, by U.S. President Donald J. Trump. The summit brings together leaders from a dozen Western Hemisphere countries to discuss regional security, migration and foreign interference, the U.S. State Department said.

According to a March 6 statement from the U.S. Department of State, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will join Trump at the summit, which officials say aims to promote “freedom, security and prosperity” across the region.

Participating countries include Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago.

Notable leaders expected to attend include Argentine President Javier Milei, Dominican President Luis Abinader, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, Guyanese President Irfaan Ali, and Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves, among other Trump allies.

U.S. officials said discussions will focus on strategies to counter foreign interference in the region, combat criminal and drug trafficking networks, and address illegal and mass migration. The State Department described the gathering as a coalition of the hemisphere’s “strongest like-minded allies.”

Haiti’s absence stands out as the country faces a worsening crisis.  Embroiled in a rampant security crisis, the country’s leaders spend thousands of dollars on Washington lobbyists while seeking international support. Yet Haiti was not included among the nations invited to the meeting alongside other regional allies.

The gathering is expected to conclude with the signing of the “Doral Charter,” a regional framework focused on security cooperation and migration management.

Doral is located in the greater Miami area, home to one of the largest Haitian diaspora communities. Select events will be livestreamed on U.S. government digital platforms, including the State Department site and YouTube channel.

Media registration for the summit has closed, according to the State Department.

Besides Haitians, officials have also indicated the meeting excludes several major left-leaning governments in the region, including Brazil, Colombia and Mexico.

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