President of Colombia Gustavo Petro announced meetings with China and the European Union (EU) to address the issue of tariffs imposed by President Trump. The Colombian president expressed his intention to seek strategies to “act as a bloc” and counter the tariff barriers the U.S. imposed on over 180 countries.
The Colombian leader made this announcement after assuming the presidency of CELAC, a Latin American and Caribbean organization that will hold these meetings with other global economic blocs to jointly respond to the new international economic landscape.
Colombia’s Petro announces CELAC meetings with China, the EU, and other economic blocs
During the annual summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), held this morning on April 9 and during which Colombia assumed the presidency, Gustavo Petro explained that one of the strategies to address the new global trade environment will be to “act as a bloc” to mitigate the impact of Donald Trump’s tariff measures.
To achieve this, the Colombian president announced plans for multilateral meetings with major global trade blocs, including China, the European Union, several Gulf countries, and fellow CELAC member states.
“First, we must act as a bloc, and second, open ourselves to the world. That is why there will be meetings between CELAC and the European Union in November, between CELAC and China this May, between CELAC and Africa, and between CELAC and the Gulf countries at later dates,” he stated.
The decision to strengthen international cooperation, aside from addressing global economic uncertainty, appears driven by significant declines in key stock market indices across Asia and Europe.
Colombia’s CELAC presidency aims for effective Latin American integration
In addition to this major announcement, Gustavo Petro outlined the primary objectives of Colombia’s CELAC presidency, which will extend through next year.
“We have agreed with Uruguay, which will assume the presidency next year, to work together over these two years on concrete projects that truly guarantee Latin American integration, setting aside speeches and rhetoric,” he said.
He also noted that “these projects involve energy integration, such as an American electrical grid spanning from Alaska to Patagonia—ideally powered by clean energy. They also include establishing an agency to produce essential medicines, freeing us from dependence during pandemics—a dependency that caused far too many deaths in Latin America during COVID-19,” he concluded.
The Colombian president emphasized that these projects aim to move beyond rhetoric and advance concrete actions to promote unity and sustainable development across Latin America.
Emphasis on technological innovation
Another key aspect Colombia highlighted for focus during its pro tempore presidency of CELAC will be its emphasis on technological innovation.
In this regard, the official statement from the presidency notes that Petro will prioritize cooperation in areas related to space exploration, artificial intelligence, and quantum mathematics. According to the president, these fields are essential for positioning the region as a relevant actor on the global stage.
On this topic, Colombia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Laura Sarabia, held a meeting with Qiu Xiaoqi, the Chinese government’s Special Envoy for Latin American Affairs. During the discussion, they confirmed the upcoming CELAC-China Summit in Beijing, which President Petro will attend.
The summit will address strategies to strengthen economic cooperation between China, Colombia, and other CELAC countries in response to the evolving global economic landscape and tariff impositions by the United States.