European leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, will skip the EU summit with Latin American and Caribbean countries, in part due to concerns about provoking US President Donald Trump.
The European Union-CELAC summit is under scrutiny in Europe as the US targets countries including Colombia — which will host the event — and Venezuela over allegations related to drug trafficking, according to people familiar with the matter.
Only five European leaders and three leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean have confirmed their presence, according to other sources close to the planning. The meeting will take place in Santa Marta, Colombia, on November 9th and 10th.
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The low turnout is attributed, in part, to Washington’s increasingly aggressive stance in the region, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Trump has intensified military threats against Venezuela and recently sanctioned Colombian President Gustavo Petro.
Merz does not plan to attend due to “low participation from other heads of state and government,” his spokesman, Stefan Kornelius, said in an emailed statement.
Therefore, von der Leyen will not participate either, according to Paula Pinho, chief spokesperson for the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm.
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“In light of the current European political agenda and the low participation of other heads of state and government, President von der Leyen will not participate in the summit,” Pinho said in an emailed statement, highlighting that the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, will be present in her place.
Together, the EU and CELAC represent 60 countries and 21% of global GDP. The summit aims to discuss topics such as strengthening commercial relations and combating organized crime.
Latin American and Caribbean countries also want to use the summit to specifically discuss Trump’s recent actions in the region, including the grouping of US ships near Venezuela, sanctions and threats to seize the Panama Canal, the sources said. They also want the EU to support a Latin American or Caribbean candidate to lead the UN.
This is not the first Latin American meeting to face political difficulties. On Monday, the Dominican Republic announced the postponement of an important meeting of leaders of the Americas until next year, due to the intensification of tensions with Venezuela caused by US military attacks on vessels in the region.
Separately, the EU hopes to finalize a long-awaited trade deal with South America’s Mercosur group by the end of the year.
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