On November 9, 2025, the Caribbean city of Santa Marta, Colombia, played host to a high-stakes diplomatic gathering: the fourth summit between the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the European Union (EU). The two-day meeting, which brings together representatives from 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean as well as the 27 EU member states, is designed to strengthen political and economic ties across the Atlantic. But this year, the summit unfolded under a cloud of regional tensions, stark absences, and a shifting global order that has left many wondering—can dialogue prevail amid mounting crises?
The summit’s official agenda is ambitious. According to ColombiaOne, leaders seek to sign a declaration focused on renewable energy, food security, financing, and technological cooperation. The event, co-chaired by Colombian President Gustavo Petro—who also serves as CELAC’s president—and European Council President António Costa, is centered on what organizers call the “triple transition”: energy, digital, and environmental transformation. There’s no shortage of lofty goals here. The two blocs together represent over one billion people and a combined annual trade volume exceeding US$451 billion, making their partnership a pivotal force in global affairs.
Yet, as the Associated Press reports, the summit’s relevance and effectiveness have been called into question. Several high-profile leaders—including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz—opted not to attend, citing scheduling conflicts with the ongoing United Nations climate summit in Brazil. Their absences, however, are widely seen as a reflection of deeper unease: the shadow of U.S. policy in the region and escalating tensions over recent American military actions.
At the heart of this diplomatic drama is the controversial U.S. military operation targeting alleged drug-carrying vessels in the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific. Since September, these strikes have reportedly killed around 70 people, including at least one Colombian citizen. President Petro has emerged as one of the operation’s fiercest critics, denouncing the deaths as “extrajudicial executions.” In his opening remarks, Petro did not mince words, asking pointedly, “What are we doing with this meeting in today’s world amidst missiles?” He went on to express his hope that the summit might serve as “a beacon of light amidst the barbarity,” referencing not only the U.S. strikes but also ongoing global conflicts such as the war in Gaza.
Petro’s criticism didn’t stop there. According to ColombiaOne, he called for Latin America and the Caribbean to stand as a “beacon of dialogue” rather than as “instruments of domination,” emphasizing the region’s commitment to diversity and life. He also highlighted the urgent need to reflect on global violence, especially after a missile attack in the Caribbean Sea took the life of fisherman Alejandro Carranza. “Forces alien to the peace of the Americas have sought to make the CELAC-Europe summit fail,” Petro declared, underscoring the external pressures threatening the event’s unity.
Despite these tensions, there were notable displays of solidarity and resolve. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva were among the few heads of state to attend in person. Lula’s presence was particularly striking, given that Brazil is simultaneously hosting the COP30 climate conference. According to the Associated Press, Lula’s attendance was interpreted as a gesture of regional solidarity with Venezuela, another country at the center of U.S. policy disputes. Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira noted that discussion of U.S. military action and threats against Venezuela would be “a natural topic at the summit.”
European Council President António Costa, for his part, sought to steer the conversation toward cooperation and multilateralism. “We choose dialogue, not division; we choose cooperation, not confrontation; we choose partnership, not isolation. And in this multipolar world of ours, what is needed is a multilateral response,” Costa remarked, pointedly avoiding direct mention of the U.S. attacks. The summit’s focus on multilateralism comes at a time when global actors are increasingly tempted by unilateral action and the use of force, making the EU-CELAC alliance’s commitment to dialogue and rules-based order all the more significant.
But even as leaders talked up collaboration, the cracks in the alliance were hard to miss. As reported by Belga, Belgium’s Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot was delayed after his aircraft made an emergency landing in Sint Maarten, causing the Belgian delegation to miss several meetings. The European Union’s muted reaction to U.S. actions and its low-level representation at the summit have been interpreted by some observers as an effort to avoid further antagonizing Washington. Only the prime ministers of Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and a handful of Caribbean and Latin American leaders attended at the highest level, revealing a diplomatic landscape shaped as much by absence as by presence.
Security, drug trafficking, and organized crime dominated the summit’s discussions, alongside the core themes of trade, investment, and sustainable development. While the crisis in Venezuela was expected to surface in bilateral talks, divisions within CELAC meant it was unlikely to feature in the final declaration. Instead, the summit’s concluding statement is anticipated to highlight foreign policy cooperation, the inclusion of southern countries in global governance, and the energy transition.
One concrete outcome emerged before the summit even officially opened. Sergio Díaz-Granados, president of the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), announced a US$40 billion investment over five years aimed at preserving biodiversity and promoting “green growth.” The initiative targets climate action, a just energy transition, water security, sustainable mobility, agricultural prosperity, and the conservation of vital ecosystems like the Amazon, mangroves, páramos, and Patagonia. CAF’s goal is to have at least 50% of its approvals be green by 2030, up from the current 40%.
The summit also provided a stage for less-publicized but still significant diplomatic jockeying. As reported by Belga, Belgium lobbied to host the headquarters of the Convention for the Protection of Biodiversity in the High Seas, competing with Chile’s port city of Valparaíso. Diplomatic sources indicated Belgium opposed a draft summit declaration that mentioned only Chile’s candidacy, insisting, “It’s both or none.”
Alexander Main, international policy director at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, pointed out that this summit is likely the last high-level multilateral gathering in the region for 2025, following the postponement of the Summit of the Americas. With the United States absent from the table, he argued, governments may find it easier to address the “central issue of military deployment” frankly and openly. “It is clearly a priority for several regional leaders,” Main said, hinting at the undercurrents shaping the diplomatic dialogue.
As the sun set on Santa Marta, the CELAC-EU summit left delegates and observers alike with a sense of cautious optimism mixed with realism. The challenges facing Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe are daunting: external pressures, internal divisions, and the ever-present specter of violence and unilateral action. Yet, the summit’s emphasis on dialogue, cooperation, and investment in a sustainable future offered a glimmer of hope—a reminder that, even in turbulent times, the pursuit of partnership and peace remains possible.
