In the shadow of Trump, the voice of Europe in Latin America is silenced

The absence of European leaders in Santa Marta exposes the weight of American pressure and the symbolic collapse of cooperation between continents

What happened in Santa Marta, Colombia, goes far beyond a simple diplomatic crisis. The emptying of the Summit between the European Union (EU) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) is the faithful portrait of a world in fracture — and, more than that, of a Europe that, submissive to Washington’s empire, abandons any pretense of political autonomy. When European leaders back away from the possibility of displeasing Donald Trump, the message is clear: the old continental power kneels once again before North American power.

But for Latin America, the episode should serve as a warning and, above all, a turning point. The region needs to understand that sovereignty cannot be negotiated — and that depending on the approval of Washington or Brussels is to condemn itself to the eternal protection of other people’s interests.

The dome that became a symbol of submission

The EU-CELAC meeting, planned for the 9th and 10th of November in Santa Marta, had everything to be a milestone in cooperation between two historically intertwined continents. More than fifty countries, representing 21% of world GDP, should debate trade, sustainable development and regional security. However, before it even started, the event fell apart.

The absence of key European leaders — such as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen — is not a mere logistical detail. It is a political act of calculated omission. Diplomatic sources confirm that the White House, under the belligerent command of Donald Trump, discreetly pressed against the meeting, uncomfortable with the presence of Latin American governments considered “rebels” by Washington.

Trump has treated Latin America as a strategic backyard and exclusive zone of influence. By sanctioning Colombian President Gustavo Petro and intensifying threats against Venezuela, the North American president reissued the old manual of imperial coercion: punish, intimidate and divide. Europe, which could have served as a diplomatic counterweight, preferred to remain silent — and, worse, to remain absent.

Europe’s complicit silence

The cold and evasive statement from Merz’s spokesperson, claiming “low participation” to justify his absence, is almost comical if it weren’t tragic. After all, the absence of European leaders is precisely the reason for the meeting’s failure. Ursula von der Leyen, in turn, opted for absolute silence. No comments, no attempts at diplomacy, no signs of solidarity with Latin American partners.

The EU, which presents itself as a defender of multilateralism, proved incapable of sustaining a meeting that would contradict the White House. Santa Marta exposed, with brutal clarity, what had long been suspected: Europe, once the protagonist of its own history, today acts as a political extension of the United States.

And the most serious thing is that this subservience has a cost. By renouncing direct dialogue with Latin America, Brussels is giving up a partnership that could balance the global scenario and reduce dependence on Washington. Instead, he prefers to pursue a trade agreement with Mercosur, already tainted by the distrust and resentment that the recent boycott has provoked.

Latin America must look at itself

For Latin America, the episode is pedagogical. He shows that expecting coherence or solidarity from Western powers is an all-too-repeated mistake. When the region seeks autonomy — whether through economic integration, energy cooperation or environmental sovereignty — it soon becomes the target of sanctions, threats and destabilization campaigns.

The story is familiar: every time a Latin American country tries to break with the imposed dependency model, Washington reacts with hostility. The difference now is that Europe no longer disguises its supporting role in this strategy. The summit boycott is ultimately a gesture of automatic alignment with Trump’s aggressive foreign policy.

But there is new — and hopeful — data. Latin America, today, has more institutional maturity and awareness of its collective strength. The failure in Santa Marta should encourage a firm political response: strengthening CELAC, deepening intra-regional trade and consolidating a South-South cooperation axis, less vulnerable to blackmail from Washington.

The price of omission

While Europe surrenders to the logic of obedience, the multipolar world advances. China, India, Russia and African countries strengthen ties with Latin America without demanding ideological submission. The EU, in turn, seems to prefer the role of an appendage to North American power, sacrificing its own diplomatic credibility.

Ultimately, the European boycott of the summit doesn’t just weaken Latin America — it demoralizes the European Union itself. A bloc that does not have the courage to dialogue with autonomous partners can hardly claim to lead any fair international order.

Latin America needs to take note: there is only one possible path — that of full sovereignty. This means breaking with the logic of dependence, investing in regional integration and defending, with its own voice, its interests on the global stage.

Conclusion: a call to dignity

Santa Marta was not just the scene of a diplomatic failure. It was a mirror of an international system in moral collapse. On the one hand, powers that kneel before Trump’s power; on the other, a Latin America challenged to rise with dignity and self-confidence.

If the 20th century was one of submission and interventions, the 21st century needs to be one of Latin American emancipation. No sovereignty is built by asking for permission — and no future is written under Washington’s orders.

Santa Marta, therefore, should not be remembered as the symbol of European withdrawal, but as the starting point of a new regional consciousness: that Latin America will only be free when it stops waiting for the approval of the powerful and begins to act for itself.

With information from Bloomberg*