EU leaders skip meeting with Latin America amid Trump tensions
(MENAFN) Several European officials have withdrawn from an upcoming meeting between EU, Latin American, and Caribbean representatives, citing concerns that their presence could provoke US President Donald Trump, according to reports. The summit comes shortly after Trump imposed sanctions on Colombia and authorized military actions against the host nation.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and French President Emmanuel Macron have all decided not to attend the EU-CELAC summit in Santa Marta next week. Their withdrawals follow Trump’s public labeling of Colombian President Gustavo Petro as an “illegal drug dealer” and his orders for US strikes on suspected narcotics vessels in the Caribbean.
EU officials, who remain dependent on US military and intelligence assistance for Ukraine, are reportedly “wary of upsetting Trump” and potentially jeopardizing a fragile trade agreement reached earlier this year.
A European Commission spokesperson explained that von der Leyen would skip the summit due to the current agenda and anticipated low turnout. German authorities cited similar reasoning for Merz’s absence, while the Elysee Palace confirmed Macron’s decision without providing further details. A senior Latin American official described the situation as “very complicated,” noting “last-minute cancellations,” and reports indicate that only five European leaders and three Latin American and Caribbean leaders have confirmed attendance.
Trump has also ordered a major naval deployment in the Caribbean, framing it as a mission to combat drug trafficking and exert pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. This follows sanctions against Petro last month, which have further strained US-Colombia relations.
Petro, whose plane was recently denied fuel during a stop in Cape Verde due to the sanctions, accused Washington of 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.
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