Alongside the firestorm over a deadly US anti-drug operation, a second, parallel US conflict is set to be a “natural topic” of discussion at the EU-CELAC summit in Colombia. Brazilian diplomats have confirmed that US President Donald Trump’s repeated threats of military action against Venezuela will be a key issue, likely to be “brought up” by the Venezuelan delegation and supported by regional allies.
This development was cemented by the surprise attendance of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Brazil’s Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira, explicitly stated that Lula’s decision “reflects regional solidarity with Venezuela.” This powerful gesture from Latin America’s largest country ensures the issue will be at the forefront of the talks, right alongside the host country’s own complaints.
The host, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, is embroiled in a dispute over a separate US operation that has killed over 60 people. His condemnation of these deaths as “extrajudicial executions” creates a broad anti-interventionist atmosphere at the summit, where Venezuela’s grievances will find a very receptive audience.
Lula has already begun a diplomatic offensive on this issue. He recently told reporters that he personally advised President Trump, during a meeting in Malaysia, to de-escalate. Lula’s advice was to “follow the example of former US President George W. Bush,” who participated in peace-making efforts in Venezuela in 2002. Lula’s central message to Trump was that “Latin America is a region of peace.”
With the US absent from the talks and top EU officials also missing, the Latin American bloc is free to “frankly address” these security threats. While a “Declaration of Santa Marta” on energy and food security is the official goal, Brazilian Ambassador Gisela Padovan’s comment that the Venezuela issue “will come up” is a diplomatic understatement. It, along with the boat strikes, will be the summit.