Latin American leaders converged on April 9 to condemn US trade measures, with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva warning that "trade wars have no winners" during the ninth summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

The summit, hosted by Honduran President Xiomara Castro in Tegucigalpa, will see the pro-tempore presidency of this regional integration institution transferred to Colombian President Gustavo Petro. Eleven heads of state gathered to collectively criticise US economic policies, particularly the imposition of tariffs and immigration restrictions.

Lula argued that "arbitrary tariffs destabilise the international economy and raise prices," emphasising that the region's "autonomy is in jeopardy" due to "attempts to restore former hegemonies." Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called for greater regional integration, proposing a Summit for Economic Well-being of Latin America to "achieve greater regional economic integration based on shared prosperity and respect for the sovereignty" of each country.

The Tegucigalpa Declaration, adopted by 30 of the 33 CELAC member states, explicitly rejected "unilateral coercive measures contrary to international law, including those restricting international trade." Argentina, Paraguay, and Nicaragua opted out of adopting the resolution, though the reasons were not immediately clarified. As the leaders convened, US President Donald Trump announced a 90-day suspension of broad tariffs on all countries but China, offering global markets temporary relief. 

Meanwhile, China has been positioning itself as an alternative partner for the region. A Chinese delegation led by Qu Yuhui, Beijing's number two for Latin American Affairs, has been holding bilateral meetings with CELAC delegates on the sidelines of the Tegucigalpa summit. The Asian superpower plans to host a China-CELAC ministerial conference on May 13, to be attended by President Xi Jinping.

In a congratulatory message to CELAC, Xi praised the growing momentum of the Global South and expressed China's commitment to deepening relations with Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Earlier this week, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian lashed out at Washington, urging the Trump administration to adjust their attitude and take "concrete actions" to support Latin American and Caribbean countries. "China's bilateral cooperation with relevant countries is never directed against third parties, nor should it be subject to interference from third parties," Lin stated, dismissing US criticisms of China's economic engagements in the region.

"The truth of who is engaging in coercion and causing trouble is clear to all," he added.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro, the incoming CELAC president, stressed the need for collaborative approaches, urging countries to "help each other" rather than tackle economic challenges in isolation.

"We must decide whether we help each other or retreat into loneliness," Petro said. "We can either face the world alone, as in One Hundred Years of Solitude, or we can act as a united humanity and support one another."

The summit highlighted growing tensions between Latin American countries and the United States, with leaders criticising both trade tariffs and stricter immigration policies. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and Bolivian President Luis Arce were among those who condemned what they termed the "criminalisation" of migration and "neo-protectionism."

Two-thirds of Latin American countries have already joined China's trademark Belt and Road Initiative, with Beijing surpassing the United States as the primary trading partner for Brazil, Peru and Chile.

The meeting underscored the region's fragmented but increasingly vocal stance against what many leaders perceive as unilateral economic pressures from the US, with a clear call for greater regional solidarity and mutual support.