The summit between the European Union and Celac -which closed on July 18- left concrete announcements of European investments and bilateral agreements on energy issues with various countries.
(Read here: European Union announces that it will invest 45,000 million euros in Latin America)
However, Late on Tuesday, the debate stalled because diplomats were unable to agree on a common statement on Russian aggression against Ukraine.
However, finally the European presidency and that of Celac signed a joint text, because beyond the reluctance of some to the final wording, the countries showed their concern about the conflict despite the fact that Nicaragua refused to give its approval.
From the summit, in any case, came the promise not to let eight years pass until the next conclave, which should be held in Colombia in 2025.
But, beyond specific announcements and official statements, the words of the main political figures in Latin America left Europe with a sign of underlying malaise, a complaint about an unbalanced relationship in favor of the old continent that only seeks the “new world” selfishly despite the fact that they are the two continents that are most similar in essence, in democracy and respect for human rights and the rule of law.
The President of the European Commission, Úrsula Von der Leyen, set the tone for the Europeans at the start of the formal meeting on Monday: “Latin America and the Caribbean and Europe need each other. Much more than ever.”
But why now?
“Because of the growing assertiveness of China,” acknowledged the president of the executive arm of the European Union. Europe does not want to lose more weight in Latin America compared to Chinawith whom he believes he is competing with one hand behind his back because the Chinese do not go around the world demanding respect for their own environmental standards or asking that their human rights and civil liberties standards be global.
The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, asked his partners in the region to make and defend immigration policies different from those of the right and to change the world financial system
European diplomats recalled this Monday that on some issues of civil liberties many Latin American countries they are ahead of some Europeans such as Poland or Hungary.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva gave the first powerful speech on Monday: “We need a partnership that puts an end to the international division of labor that condemns Latin America and the Caribbean to supply raw materials and poorly paid and discriminated labor.”
With a friendly tone, Lula was firm before some European leaders who for many years forgot the relationship with Latin America.
This summit occurs mainly because two Spaniards have been dedicated to it for a year. Taking advantage of the fact that Spain assumed the semi-annual presidency of the European Union on July 1, Spanish President Pedro Sánchez began to discuss the matter with his colleagues in Latin America for more than a year.
At the same time, the European ‘chancellor’, the Spaniard with an Argentine passport Josep Borrell, son of Mendoza, forced the European bureaucratic machinery to get to work on holding this summit and updating the relationship. Borrell acknowledged Monday that Europeans “have not paid enough attention to Latin America.”
For his part, the Dutchman Mark Rutte went so far as to say that the Europeans had been “arrogant”.
Many are beginning to realize that when they demand to add annexes on environmental protection to countries like Brazill -as if Jair Bolsonaro were still in power- what they are doing is looking for excuses not to ratify trade agreements such as the Mercosur-EU, which they fear for competition from the Latin American agricultural sector.
Europe is looking now and not only from Madrid and Lisbon because in Latin America there are essential resources for its energy transition, such as the lithium that will be needed for the batteries of hundreds of millions of cars, trucks and buses.
Meanwhile, The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, asked his partners in the region to make and defend immigration policies different from those of the right and to change the world financial system so that it is capable of sustaining the energy policies that the ecological transition needs.
The Argentine Alberto Fernández, who also spoke in Monday’s plenary session, raised the issue of foreign debt, which makes Europeans uncomfortable, and recalled that “an association requires that all parties benefit; if that is not fulfilled, it is not an association”.
While the Chilean Gabriel Boric asked that the relationship not be limited to the economic and commercial part (many officials from Latin Americawhen they arrive in Brussels, they only see officials in charge of Commerce, rarely those who deal with more political matters) but that “a higher level of agreement in all dimensions, also political and social” grows.
On the other hand, a fundamental part was also the agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, which is still stuck four years after it was agreed at a political level. Nobody expected that this summit would unravel, but both the European side and the Mercosur side assured on Tuesday that they have the determination to do so. Von der Leyen said on Monday that he wants to close it down this year.
The European Commissioner for Trade, Valdis Dombrovskis, met with Foreign Ministers Santiago Cafiero (Argentina), Mauro Vieira (Brazil), Julio Arriola (Paraguay) and Francisco Bustillo (Uruguay). And the declaration that closes the summit underlines the will to move towards an agreement.
IDAFE MARTIN PEREZ
FOR THE TIME
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