Santa Marta, Colombia – Delegates from European, Latin American and Caribbean nations convened today in Santa Marta, Colombia for the multilateral CELAC-EU summit.
While several senior delegates dropped out at the last minute, multiple political heavyweights were present, including Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Spain’s Pedro Sánchez, European Council President António Costa, and Colombian host Gustavo Petro.
The summit took place in the shadow of mounting United States pressure on both sides of the Atlantic, with delegates taking exception to the White House’s stance on international law, climate change, and trade.
The summit kicked off on Sunday morning, with delegates briefly addressing the press upon their arrival at the Pozos Azules Convention Center on Colombia’s Caribbean coast.
Petro, the last to arrive and the summit’s president pro-tempore, set the tone of the conference, telling reporters: “Latin America and Europe must stand together against barbarity.”
Once delegates took their seats for the plenary session, Petro proceeded to criticize U.S. actions in the region, particularly its boat bombing campaign that has killed almost 70 people.
Several key delegates also criticized the attacks as a violation of international law, including Kaja Kallas, Vice President of the European Commission.
However, a joint declaration published on Sunday evening fell short of condemning the campaign outright, instead calling for “compliance with international law, including in the fight against transnational organized crime and illicit drug trafficking.”
The text noted that delegations expressed different stances on the issue, without offering further detail. But some nations, like Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, have been vocal supporters of the White House’s lethal approach to drug enforcement operations.
Others may simply be keen to avoid invoking Trump’s wrath, with Petro’s staunch opposition to the boat bombings earning him a place on the “Clinton List” of individuals and organizations sanctioned by the U.S.
Some have speculated that the last-minute withdrawal of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron owed to the heated dispute between Trump and Petro.
But European representatives in attendance were able to avoid being drawn into the spat: “I don’t think that those bilateral issues are something which belongs in the EU-CELAC summit,” Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavský told Latin America Reports.
Jan Lipavský, Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs. Image credit: Alfie Pannell
He instead stressed the importance of strengthening trade ties between the two regions and countering the economic influence of China in Latin America.
Lipavský also noted the conference was “an opportunity to share views on international affairs like the Middle East and the Russian war in Ukraine.”
Indeed, the summit’s final declaration included several paragraphs on the need for democracy, respect for international law, and peace.
“We reiterate our opposition to the threat or use of force and stress the importance of prioritizing conflict prevention,” read the joint statement, signed by delegates.
In addition to supporting international norms on security issues, the final declaration also sought continuity in global climate change efforts. A day before the official start of COP30 in Brazil, the CELAC-EU statement countered growing global climate skepticism spearheaded by the Trump administration, writing “we recognize the impacts of climate change in all countries.”
Delegations also called for reducing trade tensions and supporting the World Trade Organization, rebuking Trump’s militant approach to international commerce which has hit countries in attendance like Brazil, which faces 50% tariffs.
Featured image description: Official photo at IV CELAC – EU summit
Image credit: Colombia Foreign Ministry
