Latin American leaders call for increased unity, snap at US for recent interventions

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has called on Latin American countries to unite, pointing to the recent foreign interventions in Venezuela.

Petro made the remarks while speaking at the opening ceremony of the Latin America and the Caribbean International Economic Forum, organised by the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) in Panama, Caliber.Az reports citing Panamanian news outlets.

Without explicitly naming the US, Petro referred to the military strikes on Venezuela earlier this month, saying: “We do not want Caracas or any country in the Americas to be targeted with missiles, neither from the North nor the South.

The Colombian leader has called for increased unity in the region, recalling that "our peoples have shaped history in such a way that we should begin to see ourselves as a Latin American and Caribbean civilization -- diverse, extremely different, yet interconnected."

Drawing attention to international challenges, Petro argued that the only way to confront global threats such as drug trafficking, the climate crisis, and escalating conflicts is through regional integration.

In his speech, Petro stressed that Latin America’s real strength does not come from missiles or money but rather lies "in life, in nature, in cultural diversity, and in the search to offer the world a peaceful alternative instead of war. Will we agree to be fragmented and isolated, or will we build a genuine unity?”

Brazilian President joined Petro in adopting a harsh tone during his speech at the event, equally voicing criticism of the US military actions against Venezuela without naming Washington directly.

Petro's remarks come shortly after Washington granted him a short, temporary visa to travel to the US for his scheduled meeting with the US president, after his entry permit was revoked in 2025. Hours after the decision was made, Petro called for the United States to “return” Nicolás Maduro and let Venezuelan courts judge him.

The forum was attended by presidents from Panama, Bolivia, Jamaica, Ecuador, and Guatemala, as well as the Chilean President-elect Jose Antonio Kast.

By Nazrin Sadigova