00:00U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Latin American leaders in Florida on Saturday
00:05to announce the formation of a military coalition against drug cartels.
00:11The heart of our agreement is a commitment to using lethal military force to destroy
00:18the sinister cartels and terrorist networks once and for all. We'll get rid of them.
00:23At least a dozen leaders from Central America, South America, and the Caribbean
00:27joined what was called the Shield of Americas Summit convened by Trump,
00:32who signed a proclamation launching the coalition.
00:36Also on hand, former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who was just fired by Trump
00:43after mounting criticism of her from Congress.
00:45She now serves as special envoy for the Shield of Americas.
00:50Trump has cited drug cartels as a primary reason for ramping up his administration's involvement
00:56in Latin America, pressuring Venezuela over the past several months
01:00and seizing its president, Nicolas Maduro, in January.
01:04The Trump administration has also deepened direct involvement in the region
01:08by tightening enforcement of the decades-long U.S. embargo on Cuba.
01:13On Saturday, Trump said Cuba wants to make a deal with the U.S.
01:17and is negotiating with him and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
01:22Cuba's at the end of the line. They're very much at the end of the line.
01:27They have no money. They have no oil.
01:29Saturday's summit also gave Trump a chance to project strength closer to home,
01:34even as the conflict in the Middle East rages, with oil and gas prices rising in the U.S.
01:40And it came ahead of talks later this month between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
01:47The Trump administration hopes to pull Latin America closer to Washington
01:51after years of growing Chinese trade, lending and infrastructure investment in the region.
01:57a shift in the direction of frustration from spreading Portugueseasa,
01:57The transports' progress of original exception is nothing.
01:57It's theirGrabeisation of used them.
01:58On thatpack of old ticking,
Comments