Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro addressed the CELAC-EU Summit in the Colombian city of Santa Marta, calling for the defense of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace. He unconditionally rejected any militarization of the Caribbean and urged the establishment of regional humanitarian cooperation and collective defense mechanisms. Maduro stated that U.S. military maneuvers in the Caribbean have resulted in civilian deaths and have been described by UN experts as "extrajudicial executions." He asserted that these actions violate international law, trample on human life, and pose a threat to the sovereignty of Latin America and the Caribbean. The president called on regional and European governments to demand an immediate end to attacks and military threats, and to promote an independent investigation into the alleged executions. Maduro reaffirmed the founding of CELAC in Caracas in 2011 as a commitment to political autonomy and unity. CELAC is a regional body of governments that promotes the integration and development of Latin American and Caribbean nations. "Naval and air formations are being deployed in the Caribbean, including state-of-the-art aircraft carriers, missile destroyers, and nuclear submarines," the Venezuelan leader warned, urging the defense of the region as a Zone of Peace.
