At a CAF-hosted development forum in Panama City, Latin American leaders urged unity as political polarization intensifies following a recent U.S. action in Venezuela. Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva criticized CELAC’s inability to condemn illegal military interventions, calling the situation a major setback for regional integration. Colombia’s Gustavo Petro denounced alleged "bombing" over Caracas and proposed trying Nicolás Maduro domestically or before a regional "Three Americas Tribunal." Attendees included leaders from Ecuador, Bolivia, Guatemala and Chile’s president-elect José Antonio Kast.
Latin American Leaders Call for Unity in Panama as CELAC Faces Paralysis Over Venezuela
Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino gestures to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, center, before Lula's decoration ceremony at the presidential palace in Panama City, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Leaders from across Latin America met in Panama City at a development forum on Wednesday to call for regional unity amid rising political polarization and fallout from a recent U.S. action in Venezuela.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gives a speech during his decoration ceremony at the presidential palace in Panama City, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Speaking at the CAF-Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean forum, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stopped short of naming the United States but criticized recent actions that he said deepened political divisions and left the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) unable to respond.
Chilean President-elect Jose Antonio Kast leaves a ceremony at the presidential palace in Panama City, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Lula: "It has not been capable of producing even a single declaration against illegal military interventions that affect our region."
"We’re experiencing one of the moments of greatest deterioration in the area of integration," Lula added, warning that regional cooperation and diplomatic mechanisms are under strain.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro embraces Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva after his decoration ceremony at the presidential palace in Panama City, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Colombian President Gustavo Petro was more explicit in his condemnation. Petro, who has publicly sparred with U.S. President Donald Trump and is due to meet him next week in Washington, denounced what he described as "bombing" over Caracas and proposed that former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro be tried either in Venezuela or by a regional judicial body he called a "Three Americas Tribunal."
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, left, and Colombian President Gustavo Petro attend a decoration ceremony for Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the presidential palace in Panama City, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Leaders from Ecuador, Bolivia and Guatemala attended the forum, and Chile’s president-elect José Antonio Kast was also present. The gathering underscored deepening rifts across the hemisphere and a debate over how regional institutions should respond to military interventions and crises.
Outlook: Forum participants called for renewed dialogue and cooperation to rebuild trust among governments, while critics urged clearer mechanisms within CELAC and other regional bodies to address illegal interventions and protect democratic governance.
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