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Colombian President Gustavo Petro faced one of the most humiliating moments of his term. The IV Summit between the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the European Union (EU), scheduled for November 9 and 10, 2025, opened with empty chairs and an echo of absences that resounded like a slam of the door on the leftist leader’s ambitions.

🚨🇨🇴 FRACASO INTERNACIONAL | La cumbre de la CELAC convocada por Gustavo Petro terminó siendo un revés diplomático histórico. De los 60 jefes de Estado invitados, solo 9 asistieron, mientras 51 declinaron. Es más que evidente que los mandatarios no quieren enlodar su imagen… pic.twitter.com/rsEn6TXvkK

— IMPACTO 24/7 (@Impacto24_7) November 10, 2025

INTERNATIONAL FAILURE | The CELAC summit convened by Gustavo Petro ended up being a historic diplomatic setback. Of the 60 heads of state invited, only 9 attended, while 51 declined. It is more than evident that the leaders do not want to tarnish their image by attending events organized by a member of the Clinton List, friend of narcotrafficking and declared enemy of the United States.

Of the 60 invited heads of state and government—33 from CELAC and 27 from the EU—only nine confirmed their physical presence in the end, while 51 opted for lower-level delegations or declined altogether.

This low turnout was not merely a whim of overloaded schedules but a clear rejection of Petro’s figure, whose anti-U.S. rhetoric and controversial alliances have isolated Colombia on the international stage.

Petro, co-chair of the event in his role as pro tempore president of CELAC, took the podium hoping to position Hispanic America as a “beacon of democracy” against global “barbarism.” But instead of an auditorium packed with leaders, only a handful of loyal allies joined him: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, Pedro Sánchez of Spain, António Costa of the European Council, Yamandú Orsi of Uruguay—though his attendance was confirmed at the last minute and raised doubts—along with the prime ministers of Portugal, Guyana, Dominica, and Grenada.

Notable absences: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who canceled citing “commitments in Europe” but actually fleeing the shadow of U.S. sanctions against Petro; German Chancellor Friedrich Merz; Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni; French President Emmanuel Macron; and from the Americas, Javier Milei of Argentina.

Even Uruguayan Orsi, part of the CELAC troika, ended up being represented by a deputy minister, according to last-minute reports.Petro did not remain silent. In his opening speech, he lashed out at “forces foreign to the peace of the Americas” that sought to “make the summit fail,” a direct allusion to pressure from Washington under Donald Trump.

Petro ofende, solo sabe comunicarse así, y luego pide que todas y todos los colombianos lo apoyemos como país. No, asuma sus responsabilidades. El que se quedo solo es Ud . Mire su fracaso de la “cumbre” de la CELAC. pic.twitter.com/uev2rEziwx

— Angela Benedetti (@AngelaBenedet) November 7, 2025

Petro offends, he only knows how to communicate like that, and then he asks that all Colombians support him as a country. No, assume your responsibilities. The one who ended up alone is you. Look at the failure of your «summit» of the CELAC.

Trump has publicly accused Petro of being a “narco-trafficking leader” and an ally of Nicolás Maduro, whom he labels a cartel boss. These words are not empty rhetoric: on October 29, Trump imposed economic sanctions on Colombia, revoking its certification as an ally in the fight against drugs and cutting aid worth millions.

Diplomatic sources agree that these measures triggered a domino effect: European leaders, fearful of irritating the U.S. amid trade and military tensions in the Caribbean—where American aircraft have bombed boats suspected of drug trafficking—chose distance.

This fiasco comes as no surprise to those who have closely followed Petro’s leftist drift. As a former M-19 guerrilla—a group with a history of kidnappings and attacks, including the murder of U.S. citizens—the Colombian president has prioritized his socialist agenda over regional stability.

His unwavering defense of Maduro, despite fraudulent elections in Venezuela and drug-trafficking accusations against the Chavista regime, has poisoned his relations with the hemisphere.

Remember: in January 2025, Petro convened an extraordinary CELAC summit to counter Trump’s announced mass deportations of immigrants, but Honduras canceled it due to lack of consensus, leaving the Colombian empty-handed.

Now, in Santa Marta, the pattern repeats: a fractured CELAC, where countries like Argentina and Mexico view Petro’s maneuvers to sneak domestic issues such as popular consultations or reelections into the final declaration with suspicion, according to diplomatic leaks reported by El Colombiano.

The worst part is how this isolation weakens Colombia. While Petro dreams of a “triple transition”—energy, digital, and environmental—to unite Europe and Hispanic America against “imperialism,” the country suffers real consequences: runaway inflation, a devalued peso, and an exodus of foreign investment.

The EU, pragmatic as ever, pledged $1.15 billion for renewable energy in Central America but avoided firm commitments with Bogotá. Lula, his only lifeline, arrived demanding discussions on U.S. warships in Hispanic American waters, but even that wasn’t enough to fill the room.

Instead, the upcoming China-CELAC summit is already generating more enthusiasm in the region, as a Venezuelan tweeter ironically noted: “What is there to discuss with a bankrupt West? China offers jobs and technology.”

We previously reported this in Gateway Hispanic: Petro’s history as an M-19 member ties him to crimes the U.S. has not forgotten, and his CELAC presidency only accelerates his international discredit.

This setback in Santa Marta is not an isolated stumble but the bill for a socialism that prioritizes ideology over pragmatism, driving away allies and strengthening adversaries like Trump.

Colombia deserves leaders who unite, not divide with anti-capitalist rants. Petro, with his inflammatory rhetoric, only hastens the decline of a nation that could be a regional powerhouse.

It is time for Congress and civil society to demand a turn: less SOCIALISM, more open markets and real alliances with the free world.Read more about the Petro-Trump relationship:

Read more about the Petro-Trump relationship:

About The Author Joana Campos

Joana Campos es abogada y editora con más de 10 años de experiencia en la gestión de proyectos de desarrollo internacional, enfocada en la sostenibilidad y el impacto social positivo. Anteriormente, trabajó como abogada corporativa. Egresada de la Universidad de Guadalajara.