Summit of the Americas, key to South Florida, will be back — with higher stakes | Opinion

The Dominican Republic’s postponement of the Summit of the Americas this week was not a surprise decision. For months, it has become increasingly clear that early December was not going to be the best time to get heads of government together from across the Americas. The challenge, however, is making the call to postpone given that preparations were underway dating back to 2022.

The decision — backed by the Trump administration — also means the bar has now been further raised for finding solutions to top problems when it does occur. Tackling hemispheric challenges matters for South Florida. As the gateway to Latin America, what happens across the region impacts everything from its trade to investment to travel.

Here’s why postponement was the right call. First, given regional tensions, it was going to be a struggle to get a critical mass of presidents and prime ministers to attend — and then to have a productive dialogue. Peru just broke diplomatic relations with Mexico. The U.S. has sanctioned Colombia’s President Petro. And Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, continues to pose a threat to regional stability through his support of illicit activities with U.S. assets deployed in the Caribbean on a mission to stop drug trafficking — but where the end game may be Maduro’s ouster. Clearly, a lot to discuss but stark divisions at the same time.

The summits started over 30 years ago as a U.S.-led effort. So U.S. presence is a priority. President Trump would have had to decide either to go to Punta Cana or be present for the World Cup draw that same day at the Kennedy Center. Given the importance of the World Cup for the U.S. economy, skipping the draw would have been a tough call.

But Trump, who has placed a significant priority on the Western Hemisphere, should be present at the summit. It’s the best forum to engage in both multilateral conversations and the bilateral meetings the president prefers. In one day, huge inroads can be made on issues from security to migration to increasing U.S., rather than Chinese, investment.

This is not the time to dismiss the importance of the summits. After all, it’s the only forum that exists where democratically-elected heads of government can come together across the Americas. And the issues we face today – with physical security and economic security at the top of the agenda – require coordination and joint action. Yes, the summits can have a stronger follow-up mechanism on agreements reached. And yes, such gatherings need to make it clear to citizens what is being accomplished. But, as someone who has participated in five summits dating back over 20 years, it’s clear that this convening every three to four years can be a forcing mechanism for domestic implementation of shared hemispheric priorities.

When should the summit instead occur? One option is to move it to the same week but in 2026. Why? The region will look very different a year from now. Over the next nine months, new heads of state will come into office in five countries: Chile, Honduras, Costa Rica, Peru and Colombia.

And at this time next year, Brazil will have concluded its presidential election. A new president in Colombia will ideally lead to a snapback to the longstanding close ties between our countries and avoid the challenge of Trump being in a room with a president sanctioned by the United States.

With new leadership in key countries — and, hopefully, Maduro no longer in control in Venezuela — a summit then would present a unique opportunity for a renewed recalibration of regional priorities. And, being in the Caribbean, any large-scale gathering should avoid hurricane season.

With the world and the Americas at a moment of profound change, the Summit of the Americas remains the best vehicle for addressing common hemispheric challenges. It’s not perfect, but the process has resulted in important agreements over the years. With the postponement, there’s now an opportunity for the next wave of leaders to come together so the Americas is best positioned for a better future.

Jason Marczak is vice president and senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center.