On Thursday, March 5, the United States and nearly 20 Latin American and Caribbean countries, including Panama represented by Security Minister Frank Ábrego, signed an agreement to combat 'narco-terrorist' groups at the inaugural 'Americas against the Cartels' conference in Miami, where the absence of representatives from Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil was notable. Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth led the conference at the headquarters of the United States Southern Command (Southcom) in Doral, South Florida, bringing together representatives from nearly 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic. The conference brought together 'like-minded' governments and excluded nations such as Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, and Nicaragua, serving as a prelude to the 'Shield of the Americas' summit that President Donald Trump will host on Saturday in Miami with Latin American right-wing leaders. The Pentagon chief warned that Washington is ready to launch a solo military 'offensive' against the cartels, urging Latin Americans to fight the 'narco-terrorists'. Meanwhile, Trump's national security advisor, Stephen Miller, called for fighting drug traffickers as if they were terrorist groups like ISIS or Al-Qaeda, and also asserted that illegal immigration is a 'form of terrorism.' The meeting comes days after the first joint US-Ecuador military operation against 'narco-terrorist' organizations in the South American country, following a visit by Francis Donovan, commander of Southcom. Additionally, the Trump Administration has bombed 44 vessels allegedly linked to drug trafficking in the Pacific and the Caribbean since last September, leaving at least 150 dead, under Operation 'Southern Spear'. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth read the joint declaration that 'reaffirms relations' between Washington and its neighbors, 'respecting sovereignty' and 'recognizing the strategic importance of the hemisphere,' where they seek 'to promote peace through strength.' 'And it declares our intention to expand multilateral and bilateral cooperation to improve security in the hemisphere, cooperate on government efforts in border security, combating 'narco-terrorism' and drug trafficking, securing critical infrastructure and other areas to be determined,' he added.
