The EU-CELAC summit comes amid geopolitical unrest. Here’s what to expect |
Leaders from across Latin America, the Caribbean, and the European Union are traveling to Colombia for the EU-CELAC summit. The event will take place in the coastal city of Santa Marta on Sunday and Monday. The summit seeks to strengthen inter-regional co-operation between two blocs that see themselves as bastions of peace, free trade, and shared values.
However, the meeting comes at a tough geopolitical moment, and a number of leaders from both sides of the Atlantic do not plan to attend, which could lead to a lower-key event.
Some observers believe these no-shows reflect a desire to avoid aggravating U.S. President Donald Trump, as he builds up a military presence off the shore of Venezuela, strikes boats he claims are carrying drug traffickers, and doubles down on his international tariff policy. Trump has had a stormy relationship with Petro, using tariffs against Colombia after the two have clashed politically.
Others argue that the uncertainty of the shifting world order is driving a reluctance to take bold stances.
The Summit of the Americas, which gathers Western Hemisphere leaders, was scheduled to take place in the Dominican Republic in early December. This week the meeting was postponed until 2026 following “a careful analysis of the situation in the region,” with the country’s foreign ministry citing “deep differences of opinion” and the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.
Presiding over the EU-CELAC summit are Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who currently holds CELAC’s rotating leadership, and........