EU fight crime with Latin America

By Philipp Paul Znidar and Ansgar Haase

Rio de Janairo (dpa) — European and Latin American leaders are set to agree a new security alliance to fight drug trafficking, organized crime and corruption, sources involved with a summit of European, Latin American and Caribbean states told dpa on Sunday.

Debated in the Colombian coastal city of Santa Marta at a summit of the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac), the alliance envisages closer coordination between police, judicial and customs authorities.

Plans include joint investigative approaches, tighter controls on financial flows and mechanisms to return illegal assets across borders. Cooperation on law enforcement and information-sharing is also to be expanded.

The fight against people-smuggling networks, human trafficking and environmental crime is likewise to be stepped up.

Colombia is the world’s largest producer of cocaine. Much of the drug is smuggled from there through Central America and the Caribbean to the United States and Europe.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a speech at the summit that working together would allow more to be done to protect citizens on both sides. An EU programme to protect sea lanes is also to be expanded, she said, which will strengthen capabilities to share information and act jointly against crime at sea.

EU fight crime with Latin America

Slimmed-down guest list

Alongside Kallas, those attending include Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, European Council President António Costa and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

Several leading heads of state and government cancelled, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, as well as German, France, Mexican, Argentinian and Chilean leaders. Germany was represented by Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, who had to switch at short notice to commercial flights due to a government aircraft being out of service.

US military operations overshadow the meeting

Host Gustavo Petro addressed recent US military operations in the Caribbean at the summit. In recent weeks, US forces have repeatedly sunk speedboats of suspected drug traffickers, with dozens of people killed.

Washington accuses Petro of a lack of resolve in the fight against the drug cartels and recently imposed sanctions on the Colombian president. Latin American media have speculated that several leaders stayed away from the meeting to avoid having to take a position on the sensitive issue.