Latin American leaders sharply criticized US foreign policy at the 10th Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Summit in Bogota, Colombia on Saturday, denouncing what they called ‘renewed imperialism’ under Donald Trump and calling for an immediate Middle East ceasefire to ‘prevent a global economic crisis and a potential world war.’
Left-wing Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva did not mince words. “It is impossible for someone to think they own other countries. Look at what they are doing to Cuba right now. Look at what they did to Venezuela. This is not democratic. … What they want is to colonize us again,” he said.
Lula pointed to Washington’s recent actions in Latin America, including the abduction of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, the fuel blockade on Cuba, and interference in elections in Honduras and Argentina, framing them as a continuation of centuries-old patterns of plunder and domination.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro stressed the urgency of halting the Middle East conflict. “Today humanity needs an immediate ceasefire,” he said. Petro warned that the Ukraine conflict, soaring oil prices, and the US-‘Israeli’ war on Iran are already rippling across the global economy.
Lula also criticized the United Nations for its failure to curb wars, describing the Security Council as paralyzed by the veto powers of its five permanent members. “What we are witnessing is the total and absolute failure of the United Nations,” he said, citing crises in Gaza, Ukraine, and Iran. He called again for urgent reforms to ensure the UN can enforce international peace and protect smaller nations from coercion.
The summit drew attention to the broader issue of economic exploitation. Lula warned that after centuries of extracting gold, silver, diamonds, and other resources from Latin America, global powers now seek to control the region’s critical minerals and rare earths. “After taking everything we had, now they want to own the critical minerals and rare earths that we have,” he said.
Delegates also warned of the escalating risk of global instability as a result of US and ‘Israeli’ interventions. The high-level gathering, which included African delegates, emphasized international solidarity, defending sovereignty, and resisting imperialist pressures.
The CELAC summit signals a renewed push by Latin American leaders to unify against external interference, protect regional resources, and demand reforms to international institutions that they say have long favored powerful countries over developing nations.
