A low attendance is reportedly expected due to Washington’s increasingly aggressive stance in the region
Several European leaders have pulled out of a meeting between EU, Latin American, and Caribbean officials over concerns that their attendance could upset US President Donald Trump, the Financial Times has reported. The summit comes days after Trump imposed sanctions and ordered military action against Colombia, the host nation.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and French President Emmanuel Macron have opted out of the EU-CELAC summit next week in Santa Marta. The withdrawals follow Trump’s accusation that Colombian President Gustavo Petro was an “illegal drug dealer” and his order for US strikes on suspected narcotics boats in the Caribbean.
EU officials, still reliant on US military and intelligence support for Ukraine, are “wary of upsetting Trump” and jeopardizing a fragile trade deal agreed this summer, the FT reported on Monday.
A European Commission spokesperson said von der Leyen would not attend due to the current agenda and low turnout. Berlin cited similar reasons for Merz’s absence, while the Elysee Palace confirmed Macron’s decision without elaboration. A senior Latin American official told the FT that the meeting is suffering “last-minute cancellations,” calling the situation “very complicated.” Bloomberg also reported, citing people familiar with the planning, that only five European leaders and three Latin American and Caribbean leaders have confirmed they will attend.
Trump has ordered a significant naval buildup in the Caribbean, claiming it aims to fight drug trafficking and pressure Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. The move followed last month’s sanctions against Petro, further straining the already tense US-Colombia relationship.
Petro, whose plane was denied fuel during a stop in Cape Verde last week due to the sanctions, said Washington was trying to undermine the summit. “The new anti-democratic fossil geopolitics is trying to stop the peoples who want freedom and democracy from meeting,” he wrote on X on Monday.
Colombian Deputy Foreign Minister Mauricio Jaramillo downplayed the situation, saying the cancellations were unrelated to Washington’s actions, adding, “Colombia is not isolated.”
Brazil’s Lula da Silva and Spain’s Pedro Sanchez will reportedly attend, while European Council President Antonio Costa is expected to co-chair the meeting.
The EU and CELAC represent 50 countries and 21% of global GDP. The summit is intended to discuss issues such as strengthening trade ties and fighting organized crime.
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