Media reports that many European politicians refrained from participating in the summit in Colombia "to avoid irritating Trump."
The fourth summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the European Union (EU) has started in Santa Marta, Colombia.
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The meeting, which has strengthening trade ties and combating organized crime as its main themes, is taking place under pressure from the United States on Latin American countries. Observers note that this puts European allies in a difficult position. The summit in Colombia is marked by empty chairs: the invited President of France Emmanuel Macron, Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen did not attend. Bloomberg reports that they "do not want to irritate Trump," who recently called the President of Colombia "a leader of illegal drug trafficking."
The head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, had a tough time representing the European Union. When asked by a journalist why von der Leyen was not at the summit, Borrell did not answer, urging those present to "be grateful to those who came." He also did not directly respond to whether the EU would support a possible U.S. operation against Venezuela, citing the bloc's commitment to international law.
Since the beginning of autumn, U.S. forces have been striking Venezuelan and Colombian vessels in the Caribbean. Donald Trump claimed that they were transporting drugs. Washington has also reported an expansion of U.S. forces' presence in the region.
