A summit aimed at fostering unity between Europe and Latin America is instead being defined by a shocking death toll and accusations of “extrajudicial executions.” A United States military operation, ostensibly targeting drug-carrying vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, has killed more than 60 people since September. This has prompted a furious backlash from the summit’s host, Colombian President Gustavo Petro.
Petro, whose country is a key US ally in the war on drugs, has become the operation’s most prominent critic. His condemnation is not just political; it’s personal. He has confirmed that at least one Colombian citizen is among the dead and that one of the only two known survivors is also Colombian. This direct national impact has fueled his use of the explosive term “extrajudicial executions” to describe the US-led strikes.
This intense controversy has become the unavoidable centerpiece of the EU-CELAC meeting in Santa Marta. While the official agenda is meant to focus on renewable energy, food security, and technology via the “Declaration of Santa Marta,” the sheer scale of the violence has made it the “priority for several regional leaders,” according to Alexander Main of the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
The summit is also facing a diplomatic crisis, as the relevance of the two-day event has been questioned due to the absence of top European officials like Ursula von der Leyen. Colombian officials, blaming scheduling conflicts, are pointing to the presence of Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez and Brazilian President Lula to steady the ship.
However, Lula’s presence only adds fuel to the fire. His delegation is in Santa Marta to show “regional solidarity with Venezuela” against separate US military threats. This creates a powerful, unified front of Latin American leaders poised to use the summit—which notably excludes the US—as a platform to “frankly address” and condemn these deadly military deployments.
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