Colombian President Gustavo Petro urged Latin American countries to unite in the face of regional challenges, criticizing the recent US military action in Venezuela during his opening speech at the Latin America and Caribbean International Economic Forum, organized by the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) in Panama. Petro emphasized that he does not want Caracas or any country in the Americas to be targeted by missiles “neither from the north nor from the south,” a clear reference to the US strike on Venezuela earlier this month.
Petro highlighted that Latin American and Caribbean peoples share a common history and challenges, calling for a vision of the region as an interconnected civilization capable of confronting threats such as drug trafficking, the climate crisis, and escalating conflicts through regional integration, rather than relying on military force or wealth. He stressed that true strength lies in life, nature, cultural diversity, and offering the world peaceful alternatives instead of war.
The forum was attended by presidents from Brazil, Panama, Bolivia, Jamaica, Ecuador, and Guatemala, as well as Chilean President-elect Jose Antonio Kast. Petro’s remarks reflect rising tensions between Bogotá and Washington following the operation in Venezuela, as he also called for the return of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to Venezuela to face justice in national or regional courts, rather than in the United States.
