PM Briceño: “Belize Was Not Invited”

Belize was not invited to a high-profile regional summit hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida today, even as several Latin American leaders gather to strengthen security and economic ties with Washington.

The Shield of the Americas Summit 2026 brings together a select group of leaders for talks on defence cooperation, governance, and strategies aimed at countering China’s growing influence in the region.

According to reports, only twelve heads of state were invited. Prime Minister John Briceño confirmed Belize was not among them. “Belize was not invited,” he said.

In a statement ahead of the meeting, Marco Rubio of the U.S. Department of State said he would join Trump at the summit as the United States welcomes its “strongest like-minded allies in our hemisphere to promote freedom, security, and prosperity in our region.”

The statement added that the coalition would work to “advance strategies that stop foreign interference in our hemisphere, criminal and narco-terrorist gangs and cartels, and illegal and mass immigration.”

Leaders from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago confirmed their participation.

Also notably absent are regional heavyweights Brazil and Mexico, as well as Colombia, a long-time pillar of U.S. anti-narcotics strategy. Cuba is also not part of the summit.

Despite the exclusion, Belize remains engaged in regional security efforts. Minister of National Defence and Border Security, Florencio Marin attended the Americas Counter Cartel Conference 2026 earlier this week at the headquarters of the United States Southern Command, where seventeen countries signed a non-binding declaration to strengthen border security and combat drug trafficking.