President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva criticized on Sunday (9) the use of military force in the Caribbean and off the Venezuelan coast, calling it a violation of international law. Without directly naming the United States, he said that “old rhetorical maneuvers are being recycled to justify illegal interventions.” Lula was speaking at the 4th Summit between the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) and the European Union (EU), held in Santa Marta, Colombia.
“We are a region of peace, and we want to remain in peace. Democracies do not fight crime by violating international law,” said the Brazilian president, who had previously expressed interest in discussing the issue at the summit. “Democracy also collapses when crime corrupts institutions, drains public spaces, destroys families, and destabilizes businesses. Security is a duty of the State and a fundamental human right.”
Lula called for coordinated actions, information sharing, and joint operations to fight organized crime. “With this goal in mind, we renewed the tripartite command in the tri-border area with Argentina and Paraguay. In Manaus, we established the International Police Cooperation Center of the Amazon, bringing together nine South American countries,” he said. According to the president, these permanent cooperation platforms are key to combating financial crimes, as well as the trafficking of drugs, weapons, and people.
‘Empty ritual’
In a critique of the region’s political moment, Lula said there is a crisis in the integration project. “We have once again become a fragmented and divided region, more outward-looking than inward. Intolerance is growing stronger, preventing different viewpoints from sitting at the same table. We are once again living with the threats of political extremism, disinformation, and organized crime,” he stated.
Lula described the leaders’ meetings as an “empty ritual,” noting the absence of key regional figures. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen canceled her participation in the Celac–EU summit at the last minute, as did Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi.
“We are neglecting our vocation for cooperation and allowing conflicts and ideological disputes to take over. As a result, we go from meeting to meeting, full of ideas and initiatives that often never leave paper,” Lula said.
COP30 and Mercosur–EU agreement
Lula reiterated the importance of the upcoming COP30 in the Amazon, describing it as an opportunity “for Latin America and the Caribbean to show the world that preserving forests means protecting the planet’s future.” He once again promoted the Tropical Forests Forever Fund as a strategy to ensure that “forests are worth more standing than cut down.”
The president also expressed hope that the Mercosur–EU agreement would be signed by December this year. “I hope both blocs can finally say yes to an international trade system based on rules, as an answer to unilateralism,” he said. The measure would create one of the world’s largest free-trade areas, encompassing a market of 718 million people and a combined GDP of US$ 22 trillion.
