Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio emphasized this Monday that defending the region as a zone of peace does not mean ignoring internal differences or downplaying the threat of transnational organized crime, but rather confronting it through institutional strengthening, judicial and police cooperation, and mutual trust.
During her speech at the extraordinary meeting of foreign ministers of the intergovernmental mechanism for regional integration and development, Villavicencio warned: "Not with military threats that inevitably generate negative consequences for human security, trade, tourism, and the economies of all our countries."
Villavicencio affirmed that "CELAC was born to have its own voice," and today that voice must be spoken out firmly. "We reject the logic of intervention, we reaffirm the Charter of the United Nations, we demand that all legitimate concerns be channeled through diplomatic and multilateral channels, and we offer our platforms to facilitate Latin American and Caribbean solutions to the challenges of our common home," Villavicencio stated.
In this context, he stated that Colombia presented a draft communiqué that includes these elements and orders national coordination bodies to maintain an ongoing dialogue on issues of regional interest.
The extraordinary meeting of foreign ministers was convened by the Colombian government, as president pro tempore of CELAC, to assess the regional situation following the deployment of US warships in the Caribbean, off the coast of Venezuela.
The meeting seeks to exchange opinions and reflections in an open and constructive manner regarding the concerns raised by recent US military movements in the Caribbean and their potential impact on regional peace, stability, and security.
On the other hand, the White House justified the naval operation—which includes destroyers, a guided-missile cruiser, and a fast-attack nuclear submarine—as part of its anti-drug strategy.
CELAC, established in 2010, is made up of 33 nations from Latin America and the Caribbean and acts as an intergovernmental mechanism for political consultation and dialogue, with the aim of strengthening regional integration and reaching common consensus without the intervention of the United States or Canada.
