WASHINGTON — The White House says President Donald Trump will meet with leaders of five Caribbean nations on Friday in an effort to strengthen cooperation on security and trade issues.
The meeting at Mar-a-Lago, the president’s Florida resort, will feature the leaders of the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and St. Lucia.
Press Secretary Sarah Sanders says Trump will use the meeting to thank the leaders for their support for peace and democracy in Venezuela.
Sanders says Trump will also discuss potential opportunities for energy investment.
She says the United States remains “a good friend to the Caribbean and seeks to build on a proud legacy as the region’s partner of choice.”
In January of 2018, Trump told a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators that Haiti, El Salvador and some African nations were “shithole” countries.
“The President looks forward to working with countries in the region to strengthen our security cooperation and counter China’s predatory economic practices” the White House said.
Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s Florida retreat.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/statement-press-secretary-visit-caribbean-leaders/