BOGOTA – Representatives of European, Latin American and Caribbean nations will meet Sunday in Colombia to try to strengthen ties amid divisions in the Western Hemisphere over the U.S. military operation targeting alleged drug-carrying vessels.

But the relevance of the two-day summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the European Union has come into question, because of the absence of heads of state and senior officials, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen , and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz .

Recommended Videos

Colombia’s Foreign Ministry has attributed the issue to scheduling conflicts with a United Nations climate summit and has sought to downplay concerns by highlighting the presence of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánch

See Full Page