Trump Launches International Military Alliance to Combat Criminal Gangs
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the launch of a new military alliance aimed at eliminating criminal gangs in the Americas during a large meeting held in Doral, Florida, with leaders and representatives from Latin American and Caribbean countries.
During the summit named "Shield of the Americas," Trump emphasized that the goal of this alliance is to unify military efforts to confront criminal gangs and terrorist networks operating in the region, stressing that participating countries have committed to using decisive military force to end the threat posed by these gangs.
Trump stated in his speech:
"On this historic day, we announce a completely new military alliance to eradicate the criminal gangs that are wreaking havoc in our region," adding that the agreement is based on "the commitment to use lethal military force to destroy the evil gangs and terrorist networks and eliminate them once and for all."
The U.S. president clarified that representatives from more than 12 countries have joined this alliance, noting that the experience is similar to the international coalition led by the United States to fight ISIS in the Middle East, considering that the time has come to apply a similar model to confront organized crime gangs in the Western Hemisphere.
The announcement came during a meeting attended by several allied leaders to Washington in the region, including Argentina's President Javier Milei and El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, along with representatives from other Latin American and Caribbean countries.
This alliance comes as part of the U.S. administration's trend to prioritize its security interests in the Western Hemisphere, a term used by Washington to refer to North and South America and the associated islands.
Conversely, some major countries in the region, such as Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia, led by leftist leaders, were absent from the meeting, reflecting a clear political divergence regarding how to deal with the issue of gangs and organized crime.
It is noteworthy that Trump has criticized traditional international organizations, such as the United Nations, on several occasions, preferring to launch new initiatives and alliances led by himself, including the Middle East Peace Council initiative, which sparked widespread controversy in political circles.
