Donald Trump will not be there on Sunday when the leaders of Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean will gather for a multilateral summit in Santa Marta, Colombia.
But his foreign policy is already leaving its mark and shaping the agenda.
European leaders will be absent from the EU-CELAC summit, from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
These are some of more than 20 high-level cancellations from the summit, which was originally touted as an opportunity to further develop diplomatic and business ties between the European Union and Latin America.
As President Trump’s tariffs roiled the world, the EU launched a global effort to expand its trading partners, focusing on Latin America, a continent rich in natural resources, and reviving partnerships from Mexico to Mercosur.
Still, the European delegation to Colombia this time is mostly limited to countries with historical ties to Colombia, such as Spain and Portugal. Reasons for the wave of no-shows include scheduling conflicts with COP30 to be held in Brazil, the passage of Hurricane Melissa, and the low status of attendees.
The 2025 summit was supposed to be Colombia’s biggest diplomatic effort in decades, with leaders from more than 60 countries participating. The event has since been downgraded to a one-day ceremony, with only a small number of leaders meeting in person.
This family group will be in stark contrast to 2023, when 27 EU heads of state and government, as well as the heads of the European Council and the European Commission, attended a highly publicized meeting in Brussels along with CELAC representatives.
Beyond logistical issues, rising tensions between US President Donald Trump and Latin America are likely to have had a significant impact.
The US administration has dramatically increased military pressure on Venezuela, attacking vessels it calls “drug ships” sailing in international waters. The White House claims that Venezuela is providing the United States with a large influx of drugs and dangerous criminals.
He also accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who is accused of usurpation and large-scale election fraud in the 2024 election, of running a “narcostate” and leading an international drug cartel. The United States has also deployed an advanced aircraft carrier in the Caribbean that can strike targets inside Venezuela.
This series of events has led to widespread speculation that the United States may intervene militarily in Venezuela to oust President Maduro if he refuses to leave the country. President Trump said in an interview with CBS that he did not believe an all-out war would break out, but did not rule out intervention in the country, saying China was treating the United States “very badly.”
Trump has also clashed with host Colombia and left-leaning President Gustavo Petro. President Trump has claimed that Colombia is part of a group that fuels illegal immigration and drug trafficking into the United States. Petro himself has been sanctioned by Washington.
Von der Leyen no-show
The most notable absentee among European countries was Ursula von der Leyen, who is expected to arrive in Colombia over the weekend after a stop at COP30, where she touted the bloc’s climate change credentials and met with other leaders.
Ms. von der Leyen has delegated her participation to High Representative Kaja Callas, who will now represent the Committee on her behalf.
“It’s very simple: the president decided not to attend the EU-CELAC summit because of the low level of participation by the leaders,” the commission’s deputy chief spokesperson Olof Gil said on Thursday.
“We would like to recall that in times of geopolitical challenges and divisions, the relationship between the EU and CELAC is of great importance. The summit confirms the importance of these relationships.”
Ms. von der Leyen, who prefers international venues, was absent without notice, raising eyebrows in Brussels. In 2023, she praised CELAC, praised the bilateral format as a platform for dialogue, and pledged to attend the biennial conference.
“This EU-CELAC summit felt like a new beginning between old friends,” he said in 2023. “These are times of great geopolitical change, and like-minded friends like the EU and our partners in Latin America and the Caribbean need to grow closer together.”
Asked whether Ms. von der Leyen canceled to avoid angering Mr. Trump, with whom she has developed a close relationship, a spokeswoman for Ms. von der Leyen declined further comment.
“I believe the president is faithfully fulfilling his responsibilities as outlined in the letter,” Gill told reporters.
Ms. von der Leyen’s decisions do not align with her own priorities.
The EU views Latin America as a strategic partner to diversify trade ties and strengthen diplomatic influence in an unstable world. dominated by weaponizationunilateral decision-making and blatant violation of international norms.
As part of this support effort, Brussels rolled out Global Gateway, a multibillion-euro initiative to finance infrastructure projects, deepen cooperation to fight climate change, and sign agreements to extract critical raw materials that China controls with monopoly advantage. operate Paralyze global supply chains.
The crown jewel is EU-Mercosur The free trade agreement has been in the works for 25 years and is nearing its final stage. If signed, it would create a market of more than 700 million consumers and boost bilateral trade worth €111 billion a year.
“Wrong message”
All these good intentions are now being severely squeezed by President Trump. President Trump often coaxes America’s allies into choosing sides he likes to the detriment of those he dislikes.
Earlier this week, Colombian President Gustavo Petro accused “external forces” of trying to “fail” the EU-CELAC summit.
“In a new era of fossil-based, anti-democratic geopolitics, the goal is to prevent those who want freedom and democracy from coming together,” Petro said.
Despite its sparse atmosphere, a select few will make the trip to Santa Marta.
The minority also includes Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro and European Council President Antonio Costa, all of whom place particular emphasis on relations with Latin America.
“President Costa remains fully committed to the strategic partnership between the EU and CELAC. In these times of instability and uncertainty, it is vital that the EU continues to act as a reliable and predictable partner,” his spokesperson said in a statement.
Europeans would be faced with unpleasant questions immediately after landing.
Brazilian President Lula da Silva, an influential figure in the region, said the EU-CELAC summit would be “meaningful” only if the US military buildup was discussed, indicating that he intended to put the hot topic at the center of the table.
formal agenda Although it does not mention the United States by name, it does include references to “peace, security, and prosperity,” and there is a possibility that pent-up dissatisfaction will come out.
The EU has so far responded cautiously to the conflict between the United States and Venezuela, pointing out only that drug trafficking must be fought in accordance with international law. In contrast, the United Nations human rights chief said the US attack amounted to “extrajudicial killings.”
“The notable absences of both European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are clear diplomatic signals driven primarily by a desire to avoid escalating tensions with US President Donald Trump,” said Alberto Rizzi, a policy researcher at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
“This sends the wrong message to CELAC countries. Instead of serving as a reliable counterbalance to aggressive U.S. policies, CELAC countries appear to be subordinating their regional partnership to their relationship with Washington.”
As tensions rise, attendance on the CELAC side also decreases. The transcontinental format encompasses mature democracies with single-party regimes, making coherence and coherence a challenge.
