In Brussels, the third EU-CELAC summit, set to take place on July 17-18, was launched, which will include EU leaders alongside leaders from the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). The summit has already been overshadowed by global challenges including the war in Ukraine and trade issues.

According to the EU, the summit offers the two blocs an opportunity to strengthen their partnership, achieve "fair green and digital transitions" and "demonstrate a shared commitment to upholding the rules-based international order."

Significantly, the leaders of the two blocs will meet for the first time in eight years. The meeting comes after the war in Ukraine has caused ripples of financial instability across Europe as the latter sought to, according to the EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell, grow independent from both Russia and China. The first was achieved by sanctioning Russia and thus isolating Europe from the Russian markets. The second, growing independent away from China has been more difficult and would require strengthening ties with a multitude of blocs across the globe.

Sanctioned Venezuela VP lands in Brussels

The Vice President of Venezuela Delcy Rodríguez will chair the delegation to the EU-Celac summit. Rodriguez arrived in Brussels earlier on Sunday, where the Bolivarian Foreign Minister, Yvan Gil, and his country's ambassador to the EU, Jorge Valero, were already waiting for her.

Significantly, the Venezuelan VP was added to the US Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list, and the EU also sanctioned Rodriguez. However, this would not be the first time that the Venezuelan official enters Europe, as in January 2020, Rodriguez met Spain's then Minister of Development José Luis Ábalos in Madrid–Barajas Airport according to AP.

In her first statement on Belgian soil, the vice president recalled her government's commitment to peace diplomacy, based on relations of respect between equals, a principle to be defended at the upcoming summit.

En nombre del Pdte. @NicolasMaduro hemos llegado a Bruselas para participar en la III Cumbre UE-CELAC.

La Diplomacia Bolivariana de Paz aboga por relaciones de respeto entre iguales y es la voz de nuestro pueblo en el mundo. pic.twitter.com/nOMIQMPBYP

— Delcy Rodríguez (@delcyrodriguezv) July 16, 2023

The summit is being held only days after the President and Deputy of Venezuela's National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, announced last Thursday, that Caracas will not authorize the EU to get involved in Venezuela's 2024 presidential elections by sending an electoral observation mission to monitor the elections.

The official, then, said during a session at the assembly that this decision was made concerning the behavior of members of the European Parliament, noting that they have acted rudely by meddling in the country's internal affairs. 

"The future of Venezuela is decided by Venezuelans (...) no electoral observation mission from Europe will return here; they will not return because they are rude and colonialist," Rodriguez said, adding that Caracas will "formally tell them that we do not have time to consider their request."

Cuba keen on 'equality and mutual respect'

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel also arrived in Brussels on Sunday to take part in the summit. Diaz-Canel had announced earlier that Cuba will participate actively and constructively in the summit.

As often repeated, the Cuban president reaffirmed that Havana sought to strengthen the relations between the two blocs on the basis of "equality and mutual respect".

On July 12, a week earlier, Cuba's National Assembly said it "strongly condemns" a European Parliament resolution criticizing the country's human rights record and calling for EU penalties against Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and other key officials.

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According to Cuba's parliament, "The European Parliament lacks the moral, political and legal authority to judge Cuba," adding that "this could cast doubt on the EU's objectives of seeking to re-launch its relations with Latin America and the Caribbean."

Read more: Latin American nations cooperation nullify US sanctions effect: Raisi

The climate crisis, development finance, and Haiti's security problems are among the topics they are likely to debate. On Monday, Cuba stated its desire for improved relations while accusing the EU of manipulative tactics.

Read more: How the US is still punishing Cuba 6 decades on

In parallel, Josep Borrell, the EU's top diplomat, visited Cuba in May and criticized the US for its 60-year economic ban, saying the EU has "neither the capacity nor the will to impose changes in Cuba."

What role for Brazil?

A number of reports from Brazil have noted that the summit will not bring forward any significant advances. 

Despite a scheduled meeting between the Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, rfi reported that the meeting will be rather symbolic.

Brazil, according to El Pais, has a great interest in the debate on the reform of the global financial structure and has introduced itself as a country with a central role in the negotiations to push forward the ratification of the trade agreement between Mercosur and the EU.

During the summit, rfi reported, Lula da Silva following a request from Pope Francis, will seek to hold talks with Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega regarding detained religious figures.

No place for Zelensky in EU-CELAC summit

Latin American leaders have blocked an attempt by the EU to drag Latin America into what they perceived as a European problem. Despite Spanish President Pedro Sanchez's invitation for Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky to speak at the EU-CELAC summit, the Latin American leaders blocked the invite. 

In an interview with Spanish media on June 2030, Zelensky said Sanchez "invited me but some Latin American leaders blocked the invitation."

According to Barrons, von der Leyen, while welcoming Lula da Silva said "We need our close friends to be at our side in these uncertain times," before promising a 45 billion euros European investment in the Latin American economy under the Global Gateway program. Barrons wrote that this would be considered "Brussels' answer to China's "Belt and Road" outreach to developing economies."

However, the report then explained that many Latin American countries are not only not interested in picking sides in the war in Ukraine but would also seek to maintain and expand ties with Russia. 

Moreover, multiple reports underscored that initially, the EU-proposed declaration for the EU-CELAC summit included statements of support for Ukraine. However, Latin American countries opted to delete any such statements.

EURACTIV highlighted that the modified declaration only stated that the EU and CELAC blocs would “advocate for serious and constructive diplomatic solutions to the current conflict in Europe, by peaceful means, which guarantees the sovereignty and security of us all, as well as regional and international peace, stability and security.”

Several EU leaders were disappointed by this decision, as they had hoped to utilize the summit to further their international position against Russia and further isolate Moscow.

The EU, earlier this month, had attempted to isolate Latin American countries that refuse to support Ukraine by passing a resolution ahead of the EU-CELAC summit stating that “autocratic regimes should not participate in such summits between countries that share democratic values and respect human rights,” urging “summit participants to issue a declaration demanding due respect for human rights in both regions, with particular attention to the lack of respect for democracy and fundamental freedoms in Cuba.”

Read more: How the US is still punishing Cuba 6 decades on