Javier Milei will travel to Miami this Friday to participate in a high-profile summit of right-wing Latin American leaders organized by U.S. President Donald Trump. The “Shield of the Americas” meeting highlights the growing alignment of several countries in the region with Trump’s policies amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. The event will bring together Milei, Paraguay’s Santiago Peña, Bolivia’s Rodrigo Paz, Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa, El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele, Honduras’ Nasry Asfura, and Chilean politician José Antonio Kast, who takes office as president four days later.
Milei’s Miami trip marks his second visit to the United States in under a month, following his attendance at Trump’s Peace Council inauguration. Since assuming office at the Casa Rosada just over two years ago, the Argentine leader has made 16 visits to the U.S., in contrast to few trips to neighboring nations. This reflects a broader shift in Argentina’s foreign policy toward Washington, which has shown particular interest in strategic locations like Ushuaia, Argentina’s Antarctic gateway, visited multiple times by U.S. Southern Command officials in 2024 and 2025.
The Argentine government’s commitment to hemispheric security was underscored just before Milei’s departure, as Argentina joined a regional coalition against narcoterrorism at a meeting led by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Minister Carlos Presti emphasized shared security threats across Latin America, highlighting the necessity of new defense alliances.
Economic cooperation between Argentina and the U.S. has also intensified. Last October, the U.S. Treasury supported Argentina ahead of U.S. midterm elections, and a month ago the two countries signed a trade agreement. Following the Miami summit, Milei will travel to New York to inaugurate Argentina Week, a major investment forum attended by top ministers and officials including Economy Minister Luis Caputo, Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno, Chief of Cabinet Manuel Adorni, and Deregulation Minister Federico Sturzenegger. The event aims to attract multinational investment in energy and mining sectors, crucial for transforming Argentina’s long-stagnant economy.
Milei’s government is seeking to leverage Argentina’s extensive reserves of unconventional gas and oil in the Vaca Muerta formation, as well as copper and lithium, minerals vital to the global energy transition. Despite generous incentives offering tax, currency, and customs benefits, foreign investment has proceeded slower than expected amid increasing international uncertainty.
The Argentine president’s international tour will conclude on March 11 in Santiago, Chile, where he will attend the inauguration of José Antonio Kast as president, solidifying a network of right-leaning allies in a region increasingly shifting toward conservative governance.
