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CELAC–EU Summit Adopts ‘Declaration of Santa Marta’ Calling for Law‑Bound Anti‑Drug Efforts

The communiqué responds to legal concerns over maritime anti‑drug operations by anchoring cooperation in international law.

Overview

  • The final text reaffirms Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace and reiterates sovereignty, territorial integrity, non‑intervention, and core UN principles.
  • It calls for full compliance with international law in combating transnational organized crime and illicit drug trafficking, as several leaders criticized recent U.S. maritime actions even though the document does not name the country.
  • Delegations approved two companion declarations on citizen security and the care economy, and organizers compressed the meeting to a single day.
  • Mexico’s foreign minister, Juan Ramón de la Fuente, representing President Claudia Sheinbaum, emphasized peace, multilateralism, and respect for sovereignty, and met bilaterally with Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
  • Participants and some press accounts reported casualties from the U.S. operations, with one report citing up to 70 deaths, and Venezuela was reported as not signing the final declaration.