BOGOTA

Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday called on Latin American countries to unite, criticizing US military intervention in Venezuela.

Petro made the remarks at the opening of the Latin America and the Caribbean International Economic Forum, organized by the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) in Panama.

Without naming the US, Petro referred to the US attack early this month on Venezuela, saying: “We do not want Caracas or any country in the Americas to be targeted with missiles, neither from the north nor from the south.

"Our peoples have shaped history in such a way that we should begin to see ourselves as a Latin American and Caribbean civilization -- diverse, extremely different, yet interconnected."

Drawing attention to international challenges, Petro argued that the only way to confront global threats such as drug trafficking, the climate crisis, and escalating conflicts is through regional integration.

Stressing that Latin America’s real strength does not come from missiles or money, Petro said: “True wealth lies in life, in nature, in culturaldiversity, and in the search to offer the world a peaceful alternative instead of war. Will we agree to be fragmented and isolated, or will we build a genuine unity?”

Presidents from Brazil, Panama, Bolivia, Jamaica, Ecuador, and Guatemala attended the forum, as did Colombian and Chilean President-elect Jose Antonio Kast.