Trump in Latin America: Leaders Mix Diplomacy with World Cup Visits

With the North American World Cup in full swing, Latin American leaders have headed to the United States to enjoy some fútbol—with some diplomacy on the sidelines.

Paraguayan President Santiago Peña was in Los Angeles to see his country take on the United States on June 12. While stateside, he met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss “working together to strengthen regional security cooperation and advance trade and investment across multiple sectors of mutual interest." The State Department press release notes that both the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and the Export-Import Bank are involved in economic projects in Paraguay. In an article published the day of the meeting, POLITICO highlights that in May 2025, Rubio mentioned the South American country’s potential for AI facilities in a Senate hearing. By December, a U.S.-based AI company announced a three-decade, $50 billion investment to build one of South America’s largest data centers, taking advantage of Paraguay’s hydropower resources. 

Great to see President @SantiPenap of Paraguay today and to talk about the progress we’ve made to make our hemisphere safer and more prosperous. 
🇺🇸🇵🇾⚽️ pic.twitter.com/L8ZFfNbnaG

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) June 13, 2026

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa also attended his country’s opening game on June 14 in Philadelphia. He remained in the Unites States and met with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth a day later, when the two spoke about joint efforts to combat transnational crime. “Nothing means more to President Trump than countries who are willing to carry their own weight," said Hegseth.

Noboa also met with close Trump advisor Stephen Miller and Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar (R-FL). 

On June 12, U.S. and Venezuelan officials announced that a joint strike that had taken place at some point a few days earlier killed Hector Rusthenford “Niño” Guerrero Flores, leader of the Tren de Aragua gang. The strike took place in a mineral-rich region with high-levels of activity from armed groups that had been a target for U.S. investment. 

“We extend our gratitude to the Venezuelan security forces for their support to the successful joint operation against a Tren de Aragua compound,” said General Francis L. Donovan, the head of U.S. Southern Command. The U.S. government designated Tren de Aragua as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government in February 2025. Trump has linked the group, thought to have formed in a Venezuelan prison, to ousted leader Nicólas Maduro.

June 16 marked the start of the second round of bilateral talks between the United States and Mexico in conjunction with of the scheduled 2026 review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). AS/COA’s Isabel Teran tracks what’s on the agenda for each of the three rounds. 

While the United States and Mexico meet, Canada’s ambassador to the United States indicated that his country is more focused on tariff relief than concerns over the USMCA’s future, reports The Wall Street Journal. 

The Economist covers how the second Trump presidency has driven up foreign direct investment in Latin America, especially in sectors like mining. Although the United States remains the top market for Latin American and Caribbean goods, a report from the Inter-American Development Bank showed Chinese imports of the region’s goods had the most year-on-year growth in the first three months of 2026, at a nearly 25 percent increase.

On June 11, Rubio announced sanctions on Unión Cuba-Petróleo, Cuba’s state-owned energy company, amid the ongoing U.S. blockade of energy to the island. Meanwhile, one of the most popular websites U.S.-based Cubans use to send money to family on the island is shutting down amid pressure from the Trump administration. 

On June 15, the government of Delcy Rodríguez in Venezuela signed a deal with U.S. energy company General Electric to rebuild the country's grid. 

Brazil’s Supreme Court voted on June 16 to convict Eduardo Bolsonaro for trying to seek U.S. interference in the coup trial of his father, ex-President Jair Bolsonaro.