A cloud of diplomatic uncertainty hangs over the EU-CELAC summit in Colombia, as the high-profile absences of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have left many questioning the event’s relevance. The official explanation from Colombia’s Foreign Ministry is that the non-attendance is due to simple “scheduling conflicts” with an upcoming United Nations climate summit.
However, this explanation is being met with skepticism, and the absences are being widely interpreted as a diplomatic snub, weakening the European Union’s perceived commitment to its Latin American and Caribbean partners. This comes at a critical time when the region is grappling with a major security crisis stemming from a deadly US military operation that has killed over 60 people since September.
The host nation, Colombia, is at the very center of this crisis. President Gustavo Petro has been the most outspoken critic of the US strikes, branding them “extrajudicial executions” and confirming that his own citizens are among the dead and survivors. The EU’s low-level representation at a summit hosted by a nation in the midst of such a volatile issue is seen as a missed opportunity for the bloc to show solidarity or leadership.
In an effort to salvage the summit’s prestige, Colombian officials are heavily promoting the attendance of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Lula’s surprise decision to attend is a significant boon, though his agenda—focused on “regional solidarity with Venezuela” against US threats—pulls the summit’s focus even further toward security and away from the EU’s preferred topics.
Thus, while the official agenda is a “Declaration of Santa Marta” on renewable energy and food security, the reality is a summit in turmoil. Whether the European absences are a deliberate snub or a genuine scheduling mishap, the effect is the same: the Latin American bloc is left to “frankly address” the US military crisis on its own, with a conspicuously quiet European partner.
Scheduling Conflicts or Diplomatic Snub? EU Absences Weaken Colombia Summit
