Tegucigalpa, Honduras – Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva delivered a strong critique of trade wars, particularly those initiated by the former U.S. administration under the leadership of Donald Trump, during his address at the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) summit held in Honduras on Wednesday.   

Speaking at the 9th CELAC Summit, President Lula emphasized the detrimental effects of unilateral tariffs on the global economy. "Unilateral tariffs destabilize the international economy and drive up prices," he stated, adding, "History teaches us that there are no winners in trade wars." The summit, which convened representatives from 33 nations, saw the attendance of 11 heads of state, including Mexico's President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum and Colombia's President Gustavo Petro. Other countries were represented by their foreign ministers or high-ranking officials.   

Host nation President Xiomara Castro of Honduras echoed these concerns, asserting, "In a world undergoing realignment, we cannot remain divided. The United States is redrawing the economic map without even asking which peoples are being left behind."   

President-elect Sheinbaum and President Petro voiced similar sentiments. Sheinbaum noted that "global trade is experiencing a period of profound changes that affect our nations." She stressed that "now is a good time for Latin American and Caribbean countries, through the unity and solidarity of our governments and peoples, to strengthen even greater regional integration."

President Petro urged for collaboration, stating, "We must help each other; we must not fall into the trap of trying to solve problems alone, because that will lead to our destruction or self-destruction."

These remarks come in the wake of significant trade actions taken by the U.S. under its previous administration. Tariffs of 10% had been imposed on imports from Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, with even higher tariffs levied on Venezuela (15%) and Nicaragua (18%). However, in a recent shift, these tariffs, excluding those on China, were reportedly "suspended" for 90 days. Simultaneously, tariffs on Chinese goods were drastically increased to 125% in response to alleged retaliatory measures.   

Amidst this backdrop of trade tensions, a Chinese delegation led by Qu Yuhui, Deputy Director of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Department of Latin American Affairs, has been actively engaging in bilateral meetings with representatives from 15 countries since Monday. China is scheduled to host the China-CELAC Ministerial Meeting in Beijing on May 13th, with Qu Yuhui announcing that President Xi Jinping is expected to attend the opening ceremony and deliver a speech.

Francisco Belaúnde, a Peruvian international relations analyst, told AFP that "China is in an advantageous position to expand its influence in Latin America. It's like a gift from the United States." He further commented, "China now wants to appear as a reliable partner that supports free trade and wants to take advantage of the chaos generated by the former U.S. President and the discontent of all countries with tariffs."

The summit is expected to conclude later today with the adoption of a joint declaration. Working groups from the 33 member nations have been drafting the declaration since Monday, covering a range of topics including energy, food security, coffee, and gender issues. Honduran Foreign Minister Enrique Reina stated that "the heads of state will explain their respective positions through their speeches."

In a separate appeal, President Lula also sought CELAC's support for the appointment of a woman to the position of UN Secretary-General. "CELAC can contribute to restoring the credibility of the UN by electing the first woman to the position of Secretary-General," he asserted.

Other prominent leaders attending the summit included Bolivian President Luis Arce, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo, Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou (identified in the original text as Yamandú Orsi, likely an error as Lacalle Pou is the current president), Haitian President Leslie Voltaire, Guyanese Prime Minister Mark Phillips, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves.   

The CELAC summit was held at the Central Bank of Honduras headquarters, with approximately 5,000 police officers and 2,000 soldiers deployed to ensure the safety of the attending heads of state.

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