BOGOTA, Colombia — Representatives of European, Latin American and Caribbean nations on Sunday began a two-day summit in Colombia to try to strengthen ties despite questions on the gathering’s relevance and divisions in the Western Hemisphere over the U.S. military operation targeting alleged drug-carrying vessels.
Colombian officials have indicated they will seek the signing of a declaration on renewable energy, food security, financing and technological cooperation at the end of the summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the European Union. The deadly U.S. operation, however, will likely become a key point of discussion as Colombian President Gustavo Petro is among its strongest critics.
The U.S. strikes against alleged drug-carrying vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific have killed more than 60 people since September. Petro has called the deaths “extrajudicial executions” and has identified at least one of the killed as a Colombian citizen. One of two known survivors of the attacks is also Colombian.
“What are we doing with this meeting in today’s world amidst missiles?” Petro asked attendees in his inaugural remarks after mentioning the war in Gaza and the strikes obliterating the vessels. He then added that his wish was for the summit “to be a beacon of light amidst the barbarity.”
But the relevance of the summit in the northern Colombia city of Santa Marta has come into question because of the absence of heads of state and senior officials, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Colombia’s Foreign Ministry has attributed the issue to scheduling conflicts with a United Nations climate summit and has sought to downplay concerns by highlighting the presence of Spanish Prime Min