Latin American leaders met Wednesday in Panama City for a development forum and used the gathering to press for regional unity as they pointed to growing political polarization and rising friction over Venezuela.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva spoke at an economic forum in Panama City hosted by the CAF-Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, and linked the region’s divisions to what he described as U.S. actions related to Venezuela. Lula did not name the United States directly, but he referenced the paralysis he said those actions have produced inside the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, or CELAC — which includes all the region’s governments.
Lula said CELAC has been unable to produce even a single declaration condemning what he called “illegal military interventions that affect our region,” adding that the bloc has failed to respond collectively to outside military moves affecting Latin America. He also said the region is facing one of the “moments of greatest deterioration in the area of integration,” framing the situation as a setback for regional cooperation.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who has sparred with U.S. President Donald Trump and is set to meet him next week in Washington, offered a more pointed critique of Venezuela-related military actions. Petro criticized “bombing” over Caracas and said Nicolás Maduro should be tried either in his own country or by a regional judicial body Petro described as a “Three Americas Tribunal.”
The forum drew additional leaders, including leaders from Ecuador, Bolivia and Guatemala, according to the report. Chile’s President-elect José Antonio Kast was also in attendance.
Together, the remarks underscored how Latin American officials are framing the moment as both a political crisis within regional institutions and a diplomatic challenge tied to U.S.-Venezuela tensions, with leaders seeking a united response even as they differ on the specifics of accountability and how to pursue regional judicial or diplomatic mechanisms.