US President Trump agrees to strengthen economic cooperation with Shield of the Americas countries to combat drug cartels

[São Paulo Current Affairs] On the 22nd, US President Trump held a meeting in New York with the leaders of countries participating in the ``Shield of the Americas'' coalition against drug cartels. According to the joint statement, in addition to conventional countermeasures against drug smuggling, the two sides also agreed to deepen economic cooperation, including securing supply networks for important minerals.

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The leaders of 14 countries, including Argentina and Colombia, attended the meeting, which was held in conjunction with the General Debate Address at the United Nations General Assembly, and agreed to freeze the assets of drug cartels and impose entry restrictions on their members. Trump said, ``If we work together to confront the threat posed by drug cartels, our region will be more prosperous.'' He claimed that through cooperation with other countries, "hundreds of thousands of lives have already been saved."

Trump also welcomed the continuing shift in power from the left to the right in Latin America. He made clear his stance against China, which is making huge infrastructure investments in the region, by saying, ``I want to ensure that our natural resources are not taken over by hostile foreign forces.''