Colombian President Gustavo Petro urged Latin American nations to forge closer regional bonds on Wednesday, delivering pointed criticism of US military actions in Venezuela during a high-level economic forum in Panama. Speaking at the opening of the Latin America and the Caribbean International Economic Forum, hosted by the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), Petro condemned external military aggression without directly naming Washington. The Colombian leader argued that Latin American countries must begin viewing themselves as a unified civilization despite their differences. “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,” Petro said. While development and economic cooperation dominated the official agenda, discussions were overshadowed by concerns that unilateral foreign military actions continue undermining Latin America’s capacity for collective action and diplomatic autonomy.