The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has turned this weekend Barcelona into the epicenter of international politics by bringing together progressive leaders from all over the world at the IV Meeting in Defense of Democracy. The meeting seeks to strengthen cooperation against the rise of extremism, populism, and political polarization at a global level.
Among the attendees stand out international figures such as the president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum; or the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro. Along with them participate a score of heads of State and Government, in addition to ministers, vice presidents and diplomatic representatives.
In parallel, the Catalan capital hosts the Global Progressive Mobilisation, a meeting promoted by organizations such as the Socialist International, the Party of European Socialists and the Progressive Alliance. The event has gathered more than 3,000 participants and about 120 speakers from some 40 countries.
Among the leaders present are also the president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa; the Uruguayan president, Yamandú Orsi; the president of the European Council, António Costa; and the prime minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti. Also participating are relevant figures such as the governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa and the former Spanish president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.
The meeting serves to debate key issues such as the defense of democratic institutions, the impact of disinformation on social networks, and growing economic inequality. Some participants have warned about the role of polarizing discourses and the advance of authoritarian movements in different regions of the world.
The summit comes preceded by a bilateral meeting between Spain and Brazil held at the Pedralbes Palace, where Sánchez and Lula signed a dozen economic and commercial agreements. In their joint appearance, both leaders coincided in their concern for the weakening of democracies and the situation of the international system, including the role of the United Nations.
During that intervention, Lula recalled his historical opposition to international conflicts and reflected on the advance of far-right political currents, pointing to factors such as disinformation and social discontent. Both he and Sánchez defended the importance of multilateralism, human rights, and respect for international law in the current context.
The meeting has also been marked by controversy after the statements by the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, who described the event as a “meeting of narco-states”. Sánchez responded by apologizing to the Brazilian president, in an episode that reflects the internal political tensions in Spain surrounding this type of international forum.
