The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will lead on April 18 in Barcelona a summit that will bring together a dozen progressive leaders with the aim of articulating a political response to the advance of the right globally. The meeting is part of the Foro Democracia Siempre, an initiative originally promoted in Chile.
The event will feature the participation of leaders from key countries such as México, Colombia, Sudáfrica o Uruguay. Among the most prominent names is the Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum, whose presence is especially significant given that she rarely makes international trips, which reflects the improvement in diplomatic relations between Spain and Mexico after years of tensions.
The meeting occurs after several political clashes of Sánchez with the former US president Donald Trump, especially due to the war in Gaza, his rejection of raising defense spending to 5% of the PIB and his opposition to intervention in Iran. From the Spanish Executive, it is stressed that the objective of the meeting is to defend “democracy, multilateralism and respect for the international order”.
Previously, Spain and Brazil will hold an unprecedented bilateral summit with the participation of a dozen ministers from each country, which evidences the close political alignment between Sánchez and Lula. During the plenary, the leaders will address three main axes: the defense of democratic institutions, the impact of disinformation and digital technologies, and the rise of extremism linked to inequality. The agenda reflects the intention to build an alternative discourse to the one predominant in a good part of the West.
In addition to Spain and Brazil, representatives from countries such as Lithuania, Albania, Barbados or Cape Verde have confirmed their attendance, as well as European institutional figures such as the President of the European Council, António Costa. In total, more than a dozen leaders and several vice-presidents or ministers will participate in this forum that seeks to strengthen the international progressive space.
