(Nov 5): Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is expected to take a break from the United Nations climate summit he’s hosting in Brazil, to join discussions on the Venezuela crisis in Colombia this weekend.
Lula cancelled a trip to unveil a new clean energy project and is now expected to attend a joint summit of Latin American and European leaders hosted by his counterpart, Gustavo Petro, according to multiple Brazilian officials who asked not to be identified discussing his agenda.
The so-called Celac-EU gathering is scheduled for Nov 9-10 in the coastal city of Santa Marta. Lula would then return to Belém, where COP30 is taking place, the officials said. They cautioned that his agenda isn’t final and could still change.
Lula’s shift comes as several European leaders including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen have decided to skip the summit, partly out of concern over angering US President Donald Trump. Petro has been extremely critical of US strikes in the Caribbean.
As Trump steps up his attacks on alleged drug-trafficking boats off the coast of Venezuela, the region’s divided governments are failing to agree on any joint response to rein him in.
Brazil and Colombia, two key players which last year coordinated outreach to Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, have since taken different approaches. Petro’s fiery criticisms have led Trump to label him a “drug leader” and prompted Washington to impose sanctions. Lula, meanwhile, has adopted a more diplomatic tone amid ongoing trade negotiations with the US, and has told Trump he would be willing to mediate the conflict with Maduro.
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“The Celac meeting only makes sense in this moment if we are going to discuss this issue of American warships in Latin American waters,” Lula told journalists in Belém on Tuesday. “I had the opportunity to speak with (US) President (Donald) Trump about this issue, telling him that Latin America is a peaceful place.”
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