CELAC Uruguay Statement: Clarifications and Tensions Following Petro's Publication
A message posted by Colombian President Gustavo Petro on his X account sparked an unexpected diplomatic controversy for the Yamandú Orsi government. The president included Uruguay among the countries that, according to him, supported a statement by the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) rejecting the United States military deployment in the Caribbean Sea, near Venezuela.
Petro, who holds the bloc's pro tempore presidency, asserted that the text represented "the vast majority" of members who signed "for peace" in the region. He also noted that it was not an official CELAC statement because a minority of countries opposed it, mentioning among them Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Jamaica, Paraguay, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Orsi's position and the diplomatic background
When contacted at the Rural del Prado, Orsi said he was unaware of the statement and declined to comment on the substance of the matter. He only warned that the worrying thing is "when atomic weapons are used," and that the priority must be to maintain calm and peace in a context of regional instability.
The Executive Branch believes Petro's publication has left Uruguay aligned with a confrontational stance it does not share. Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin has insisted that it is difficult to achieve political consensus among the 33 CELAC countries and that it is better to focus on specific issues such as food security and the environment.
Clarifications from other countries and Uruguay's role
Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez clarified that his country had not given its consent to adhere to the communiqué, although he appreciated Uruguay's efforts in drafting it. Guatemala also denied its support and questioned the pro tempore presidency's failure to respect customary decision-making procedures.
Despite the clarifications, Uruguay has not issued an official statement. The country remains committed to CELAC, an organization that will receive the pro tempore presidency from Petro in early 2026.
What the statement said
The text expressed "deep concern" over the US military presence in the Caribbean and recalled that Latin America and the Caribbean are a Zone of Peace. It reaffirmed its commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes, the self-determination of peoples, and the prohibition of nuclear weapons, in line with the Treaty of Tlatelolco.
He also noted that drug trafficking and organized crime are threats to regional stability and called for strengthening international cooperation within the framework of international law.
Political reactions
Although the Foreign Ministry did not comment, the Frente Amplio Political endorsed a statement by the Uruguayan Anti-Imperialist Committee in Solidarity with Cuba and the Peoples of the World, condemning the deployment of more than 4,500 U.S. troops in the Caribbean and calling for dialogue instead of confrontation.
