A Summit Divided: Unity on US Criticism, But EU Leadership is Missing

The EU-CELAC summit in Santa Marta is a story of a stark division. On one side, the Latin American and Caribbean bloc is showing signs of unprecedented unity, coalescing in strong opposition to US military actions. On the other side, the European Union’s delegation is fractured and missing its top leadership, undermining the “EU” part of the EU-CELAC partnership.
The Latin American unity is being forged in a crucible of crisis. The host, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, has led the charge by labeling the 60-plus deaths from a US anti-drug operation “extrajudicial executions.” This strong stance is being powerfully supplemented by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is attending specifically to show “regional solidarity with Venezuela” against separate US military threats.
This united front from the region’s most prominent leftist leaders is setting a clear, anti-interventionist agenda. Lula’s recent diplomatic outreach to US President Donald Trump, urging him to see Latin America as a “region of peace,” is becoming the bloc’s de facto doctrine. The US’s absence from the summit only makes it easier for this unified voice to emerge.
In stark contrast, the European Union’s presence is weak. The absence of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has been glaring. While Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is in attendance, the lack of top-tier representation from Brussels and Berlin has “come into question” and is seen as a sign of disinterest or disarray, despite official excuses of “scheduling conflicts.”
As a result, the summit is lopsided. The official agenda of signing the “Declaration of Santa Marta” on energy and technology—likely a key EU priority—is being completely ignored. Instead, the event has become a powerful platform for Latin American solidarity, leaving a weakened EU delegation to simply watch from the sidelines.