Overview
- Talks in Santa Marta are centered on forging a new security alliance that would link police, justice and customs work, expand joint investigations, tighten financial controls and asset recovery, and bolster cooperation at sea.
- Only nine heads of state or government attended, with Spain’s Pedro Sánchez, EU Council President António Costa and Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva present, while Germany sent Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul.
- EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz and France’s Emmanuel Macron skipped the meeting, underscoring reluctance to confront Washington over the maritime operations.
- Reports over the past two months cite about 18 suspected smuggling boats sunk and at least 69 civilian deaths, including three more fatalities days before the summit, as legal and humanitarian concerns mount.
- Lula signaled he wants the agenda to address the presence of U.S. warships and the situation in Venezuela, while regional voices, including legal scholars and local fishermen, question the legality and civilian risks of the strikes.