President Trump has invited Latin American leaders to attend a summit in Florida next month in a bid to counter China’s expanding influence in the region, a White House official confirmed to The Washington Times.
The summit will take place on March 7, the official said. It will come just weeks ahead of Mr. Trump’s previously announced trip to Beijing in April, where he will sit down with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
No other information about the summit was available, the official said.
The Trump administration has steadily increased its outreach to Latin America, where China has spent decades building influence through trade deals and offering loans to countries in the region.
China is the dominant economic partner in Latin America. In 2024, trade between Beijing and Latin American nations reached a record $518 billion, making it the top trading partner for South America.
Beijing has invested heavily in infrastructure such as ports, energy and telecommunications in exchange for resources like lithium and soybeans.
The trade also helps China expand its geopolitical influence in Latin America, despite competition from the U.S.
Still, the Trump administration has been engaged in outreach to Western Hemisphere countries. Earlier this week, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, hosted a gathering of defense leaders and senior military officials from 34 Western Hemisphere countries. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also addressed the officials.
The meeting with Latin American leaders also comes after the Trump administration sent the U.S. military into Venezuela and captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife. They are currently sitting in a New York City jail, where they face federal drug conspiracy charges.
Since ousting Mr. Maduro, the Trump administration has sought to take control of Venezuela’s oil industry, saying it was a way to counter Russian and Chinese influence on the country.
“One thing I think everyone has to know is that if we didn’t do this, China or Russia would have done it,” Mr. Trump told oil industry executives at White House meeting last month.
China is the largest purchaser of Venezuelan oil.
Mr. Trump has also pressured Latin American countries to isolate Cuba, a country he’s declared is “ready to fall.” He has severely restricted Havana’s access to primary petroleum sources in Venezuela and Mexico.
Last month, Mr. Trump signed an executive order that imposes a tariff on any goods from countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba, a move that could further cripple the island, which is already plagued by a deepening energy crisis.
Cuban officials this week warned airlines that there isn’t enough fuel for airplanes to refuel on the island.
Mr. Trump has also maintained his desire to gain control of the Panama Canal, saying Panama has ceded too much influence to China.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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