The president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, announced this Thursday that he will travel to the United States on Friday to participate in a summit of Latin American leaders called by President Donald Trump. The meeting will be held on Saturday in Miami.
During his weekly conference, the Panamanian leader said he has "great expectations" for the meeting, in which 12 presidents from Latin America will participate. The summit will bring together leaders from countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago, in addition to the president-elect of Chile, José Antonio Kast, who will take office on March 11.
Mulino explained that he has spoken with representatives of international organizations that will also be present and who believe that "the time is right to talk" about issues that concern the region. Among these issues, he mentioned the maintenance of democracy, the fight against drug trafficking, money laundering, and continental security.
The head of state acknowledged that he does not yet have many details about this new regional meeting, called the "Shield of the Americas." He indicated that the meeting will begin at noon on Saturday at a hotel south of Miami and will extend until 7:30 in the evening, with a lunch between Trump and the invited leaders, followed by a cocktail.
"The time is right to talk"
Mulino said he has spoken with representatives of international organizations that will also be present and who believe that "the time is right to talk" about issues that concern the region.
Among these issues, he highlighted the defense of democracy, the fight against drug trafficking, money laundering, and continental security.
"This will be a very productive meeting," he added.
Among the participants are several political allies of the American leader, such as Javier Milei in Argentina, Rodrigo Chaves in Costa Rica, Luis Abinader in the Dominican Republic, Daniel Noboa in Ecuador, and Nayib Bukele in El Salvador, among other regional leaders.
The relationship between Mulino and Trump has had moments of tension since the arrival of the US president to power in 2025. At that time, Trump raised the possibility of recovering the Panama Canal, alleging supposed Chinese influence on the interoceanic route, something that was rejected by the Panamanian government.
The United States built the Panama Canal in the early 20th century and administered it for more than eight decades, until control passed to Panamanian hands on December 31, 1999.
Trump's criticisms were based on the fact that two of the five ports near the canal were operated by a subsidiary of the Chinese conglomerate CK Hutchison. However, this situation changed on February 23, when a definitive court ruling declared that concession null.
