File photo: Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Photo: CFP

By Brasil 247 - Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will participate on March 21 in Bogotá, Colombia, in the 1st CELAC-Africa High-Level Forum and the 10th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), reinforcing Brazil's commitment to regional integration and political coordination among Global South countries, according to information published by Brasil 247.

Lula's presence reaffirms Brazil's interest in consolidating dialogue and coordination mechanisms among Latin American and Caribbean nations. Since 2023, the president has attended all CELAC high-level meetings, a stance presented by the Brazilian government as evidence of its commitment to regional unity.

The trip takes place amid growing international instability marked by geopolitical fragmentation and renewed unilateralism. In this context, the Brazilian government considers stronger ties between Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa as a way to promote a more balanced and inclusive international order reflecting Global South interests.

During a briefing with journalists, Foreign Ministry Secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean Gisela Maria Figueiredo Padovan said Lula's participation confirms Brazil's constitutional commitment to regional integration and highlighted the president's consistent attendance at CELAC meetings since taking office.

The 10th CELAC Summit will occur in a politically sensitive regional environment marked by increasing polarization and external pressures on Latin America and the Caribbean. Despite these challenges, CELAC remains the region's main political dialogue and coordination mechanism, maintaining initiatives focused on shared priorities such as health, food security, disaster management and regional cooperation.

Under Colombia's pro tempore presidency, CELAC has expanded dialogue with other international actors, including the European Union, China and Africa. At the conclusion of the summit, Colombia will transfer the rotating presidency of the bloc to Uruguay, which is expected to present its priorities for the upcoming term.

Brazilian officials indicated that discussions among heads of state will focus on economic development, poverty and hunger reduction, climate change, organized crime and food and nutrition security. A meeting of CELAC foreign ministers scheduled for March 20 will prepare decisions and proposals for the presidential summit.

Brazil also views the continuation of practical initiatives as evidence of CELAC's institutional vitality. Topics expected to be reviewed include the bloc's food and nutrition security plan, the disaster and climate risk response fund (FACRID), and a proposal to create a regional space agency.

In addition to the regional summit, Lula's visit will center on participation in the first CELAC-Africa High-Level Forum, aimed at revitalizing political, economic and diplomatic cooperation between the two regions. The forum will be preceded by three days of discussions involving dozens of Latin American, Caribbean and African specialists across 17 panels covering development cooperation, agriculture, energy, climate, health, security, trade, investment and infrastructure.

Brazil's Foreign Ministry Secretary for Africa and the Middle East, Ambassador Carlos Sérgio Sobral Duarte, said the initiative seeks to rebuild a dialogue framework that previously existed through the South America-Africa (ASA) summits held between 2006 and 2013 but later lost momentum.

Officials emphasize that closer relations between Africa and Latin America are driven not only by historical and cultural ties but also by economic and geopolitical interests. Together, the African Union's 55 countries and CELAC's 33 members represent around 2 billion people and significant potential for cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure, energy, agriculture and technological development.

The Brazilian government argues that deeper engagement can strengthen sovereign development agendas and cooperation on shared challenges such as food security, climate justice, development financing and historical reparations.

Lula's participation in Bogotá aligns with Brazil's broader foreign policy strategy since 2023, focused on restoring the country's role in multilateral forums and strengthening Latin American integration. The government also highlights Lula's participation in the 37th African Union Summit in 2024 and involvement in organizing the First African Diaspora Conference in the Americas as part of renewed South-South cooperation efforts.

(Reported by Brasil 247 on March 19, 2026)