Colombian President Petro Calls for CELAC-U.S. Summit
The Great Wall of China. X/ @gurozu
May 12, 2025 Hour: 9:05 am
He arrived in Beijing to take part in the fourth China-CELAC Ministerial Meeting.
On Monday, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) wants to hold a summit with the United States, similar to the meeting scheduled for Tuesday with China in Beijing.
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“We have requested the U.S. government to hold a CELAC-United States summit; the goal, due to its geographic position, is to become the heart of the social, political and economic world,” Petro said in a short video recorded after visiting the Great Wall of China.
Petro arrived in Beijing to take part in the fourth China-CELAC Ministerial Meeting, a mechanism for which he has served as pro tempore president since last month. He is set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a visit aimed at strengthening diplomatic and economic ties, as well as cooperation.
The Colombian president will carry out a “high-level agenda” in China beginning Tuesday with the China-CELAC forum. Although it is a meeting of foreign ministers, the presidents of Colombia, Chile and Brazil will also attend—an unprecedented occurrence.
“With this meeting, Colombia reaffirms its commitment to multilateralism, regional integration and the construction of strategic alliances that promote sustainable development and global equity,” the Colombian presidency said. Colombia currently holds the rotating presidency of CELAC.
During Petro’s stay in China, which will last until May 17, several trade agreements are expected to be signed, along with a possible memorandum of understanding for Colombia to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
“I want to talk with the Chinese about dialogue between civilizations, about how Latin America must engage with the world, and, of course, about Colombia—specifically, to sign several trade agreements,” Petro said on April 21.
The potential for Colombia to join the Belt and Road Initiative also carries an implicit message to Washington. While launching an unprecedented global trade war, the U.S. has also pressured Latin American countries to distance themselves from China and abandon such projects—something Panama already did earlier this year.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
