Milei travels to the United States to join Trump’s meeting with Latin American leaders as Middle East conflict escalates

The alliance between Javier Milei and Donald Trump will strengthen this weekend with a new meeting. The Argentine president is leaving for Miami this Friday to take part the following day in the summit of right‑wing Latin American leaders convened by Trump. The meeting, called Shield of the Americas, reflects the growing alignment of countries in the region with the Republican’s policies amid the ongoing escalation of conflict in the Middle East.

In addition to Milei, Trump’s staunch ally, other like‑minded presidents will participate, including those of Paraguay (Santiago Peña), Bolivia (Rodrigo Paz), Ecuador (Daniel Noboa), El Salvador (Nayib Bukele), and Honduras (Nasry Asfura). Chilean politician José Antonio Kast will also attend, four days before taking office as the new head of state.

Milei will set foot on U.S. Soil for the second time in less than a month, after also traveling for another event convened by Trump: the inauguration of his Peace Council. The Argentine leader has made 16 trips to the United States since arriving at the Casa Rosada a little over two years ago, a figure that contrasts with his scarce visits to neighboring countries.

On Thursday, on the eve of his departure, Argentina joined the regional coalition against narcoterrorism during a hemispheric security meeting led by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Argentina was represented by Minister Carlos Presti. During his remarks, the defense minister stated that Latin American states face “threats of a similar nature, though of varying intensity,” making defense alliances such as the newly signed one necessary.

Since Milei shifted Argentina’s foreign policy to move closer to the United States, the North American power has shown particular interest in Ushuaia, Argentina’s gateway port to Antarctica. In 2024, the southern city received a visit from then–U.S. Southern Command chief Laura Richardson, and in May 2025 from her successor, Alvin Holsey. In January, a delegation of 23 people — including members of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee — landed there aboard an Air Force plane.

The strategic bilateral relationship forged over the past year has also been economic. The U.S. Treasury came to Milei’s rescue on the eve of the midterm elections last October, and a month ago the two countries signed a trade agreement.

This time, after the summit convened by Trump, Milei will travel on to New York. The Argentine president will open Argentina Week, an event bringing together leaders of multinational companies, banks, and investment funds interested in doing business in the Latin American country. The Argentine government will participate at the highest level with the aim of attracting investment. Attendees will include the minister of economy, Luis Caputo; the foreign minister, Pablo Quirno; the chief of cabinet, Manuel Adorni; and the minister of deregulation and state transformation, Federico Sturzenegger.

Argentina has endured 15 years of economic stagnation. Milei is seeking foreign capital to develop energy and mining projects, two key sectors for transforming the country’s current agro‑industry‑led productive structure and generating growth. Argentina has large reserves of unconventional gas and oil in the Vaca Muerta formation in Patagonia, and it also has copper and lithium, two minerals essential for the energy transition. The government has offered multinational companies a generous incentive scheme that grants significant tax, currency, and customs benefits. Even so, investment is arriving more slowly than expected, and the new international context is increasing uncertainty.

The Argentine president’s international tour will conclude in Santiago, Chile, on March 11. Milei will attend the inauguration of José Antonio Kast as Chile’s new president, whom he already considers a new ally in a region that is increasingly shifting to the right.

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