Tegucigalpa, (EFE).- In a clear message of regional unity and resistance to US economic and migration policies, eleven heads of state from Latin America and the Caribbean gathered Wednesday in Honduras for the 9th Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).
The leaders, including Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum, Brazil’s Luiz Inázio Lula da Silva, and Colombia’s Gustavo Petro, called for greater economic autonomy, integration, and a collective response to Washington’s recent imposition of tariffs and mass deportations.
The summit took place amid rising trade tensions following United States President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a 10% tariff on Latin American exports, harsher in cases like Venezuela and Nicaragua, and to intensify deportations of undocumented migrants.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum proposed hosting a “Summit for the Economic Well-Being of Latin America and the Caribbean” to build a unified response to external economic pressures.
She highlighted the region’s collective strength: over 663 million people, a 6.6 trillion dollars GDP, and abundant natural resources.
“A united region is a stronger region,” Sheinbaum stated, also voicing for a summit on Haiti and calling for a humanist approach to migration.
Brazil’s President Lula da Silva went further, advocating for increased trade in local currencies to reduce dependence on the US dollar.
He urged reactivating the Latin American Integration Association’s payment system and criticized the fact that only 14% of the region’s trade occurs between CELAC nations.
“The stronger and more united our economies, the more protected we’ll be from unilateral actions,” Lula said, directly referencing US trade policies.
The two leaders also agreed to strengthen Mexico-Brazil industrial ties through regular meetings between government and industry leaders.
CELAC’s new chair and Haiti’s plea for help
Colombian President Gustavo Petro assumed the rotating presidency of CELAC with a call for deeper integration.
“Latin America and the Caribbean is life,” he said.
“We export solutions to global warming, not death.” Petro proposed transforming CELAC into a bloc that speaks to the world from a position of peace and knowledge.
Moreover, from Haiti, Leslie Voltaire of the transitional presidential council urged CELAC for “active solidarity” amid a dire security crisis.
Economic unity and a challenge to the Dollar
He accused international mafias of fueling violence and requested tangible in security, healthcare, and technology.
Widespread rejection of US migration policies
A dominant theme throughout the summit was rejection of the President Trump-era immigration policies and mass deportations.
Nearly all attending leaders condemned the criminalization of migration and the detainment of migrants, some of whom are being held in El Salvador or reportedly sent to Guantánamo Bay.
President Petro likened shackled deportees to African slaves, questioning whether handcuffing and imprisoning migrants in El Salvador was a solution to climate-driven migration.
Honduran President Xiomara Castro said Latin American youth, chasing the “American dream,” are now victims of a system that deports them ‘en masse’.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel denounced as well the use of economic coercion and mass deportations, while Bolivia’s Luis Arce warned of “inhuman treatment” and policies that ignore the root causes of migration.
Some leaders, like Mexico’s Sheinbaum and Guatemala’s Bernardo Arévalo, took a more moderate tone but still emphasized the need for humanitarian responses that address inequality and lack of opportunity.
The summit concluded with an announcement that Colombia will host the fourth CELAC-EU Summit in Santa Marta this November, where Latin American leaders hope to present a united front to Europe in an increasingly polarized global landscape. EFE
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