MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Colombia summons Celac FMs to discuss US Caribbean deployment

Colombia reaffirmed that Latin America and the Caribbean have been formally recognized as a Zone of Peace

Colombia, holding the pro tempore presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac), has called an urgent virtual meeting of the organization's foreign ministers to address recent US military movements in the Caribbean.

The meeting's purpose is to discuss the implications of these military deployments for regional peace and security. The US has deployed warships, including destroyers and a nuclear-powered submarine, in the waters off Venezuela's coast, stating the action is part of an anti-drug trafficking strategy.

Venezuela's government, led by President Nicolás Maduro, has condemned the move as a “hostile action” and a threat to national sovereignty, responding by mobilizing its own military. Venezuela has also formally protested the US presence at the United Nations, referencing a 2014 Celac declaration that designated Latin America and the Caribbean as a “Zone of Peace.” The Celac meeting aims to strengthen dialogue and find a peaceful, collaborative solution to the issue.

“The member states hope that this space will allow for an open and constructive discussion of concerns surrounding recent military movements in the Caribbean and their possible implications for regional peace, security, and stability,” a statement from Bogotá's Foreign Ministry read.

Colombia reaffirmed that Latin America and the Caribbean have been formally recognized as a Zone of Peace, and emphasized that the current ministerial dialogue is being held to foster mutual understanding and identify coordinated solutions for the region’s collective benefit.

Meanwhile, the United States has recently deployed naval forces near Venezuela’s coastline, including three destroyers equipped with Aegis missile systems, under what Venezuela describes as the pretext of combating drug trafficking.

In response, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ordered the mobilization of the Bolivarian Militia, framing the move as a sovereign defense measure against what his government considers an unwarranted external threat.

Venezuela has also brought the matter before the United Nations, accusing the U.S. of violating core principles of international law and calling for adherence to the 2014 Celac declaration that designated Latin America and the Caribbean as a peace zone. Caracas' Ambassador to the UN, Samuel Moncada, claimed that Washington is orchestrating “a large-scale propaganda campaign” to legitimize what experts refer to as “kinetic action”—a term used to describe military intervention in a sovereign nation that, according to Venezuela, poses no threat to others.