Democracy always

On Monday, July 21, the leaders of Brazil, Luiz Inácio "Lula" da Silva, Chile, Gabriel Boric, Colombia, Gustavo Petro, Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi, and Spain, Pedro Sánchez, met in Santiago, Chile, in a meeting organized under the slogan of "defending democracy".

The meeting focused on three main areas: strengthening democracy and multilateralism, reducing inequalities, and combating disinformation and regulating emerging technologies—issues that highlight the importance of such a working meeting in the current context, which aligns perfectly with the agenda it supports. CLACSO in favor of multilateralism, the defense of a stronger democracy, the reduction of inequalities, the fight against disinformation, the regulation of emerging technologies and international cooperation based on social justice.

The proposals that resulted from this process will be presented and developed within the framework of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, in September of this year in New York City, United States.

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In the lead-up, the five leaders signed a column in the Chilean newspaper The Mercury, in which they expressed: "In different corners of the planet, democracy faces a moment of great challenges. The erosion of institutions, the rise of authoritarian rhetoric pushed by various political sectors, and growing citizen disaffection are symptoms of a deep unease among broad segments of the population. Added to this are persistent inequalities, the erosion of fundamental rights, the spread of disinformation and hate speech on digital platforms, and the expansion of criminal networks that challenge the legitimacy of the state."

“Faced with this scenario, there is no room for inaction or fear. We defend hope. In an increasingly polarized world, as progressive leaders we have a duty to act with conviction and responsibility in the face of those who seek to weaken democracy and its institutions. Because it is not enough to invoke democracy or speak in its name: we must strengthen it, renew it, and make it meaningful again for those who feel its promises have been broken. It is with more democracy that we will create more opportunities for people, and how we will better adapt to the global challenges posed by artificial intelligence and climate change. Solving the problems of democracy with more democracy—that is the principle that brings together the governments of Chile, Brazil, Spain, Uruguay, and Colombia for the High-Level Meeting 'Democracy Forever,' to be held in Santiago on July 21,” they continued, adding: “This shared effort is not only a continuation of the meeting promoted by the governments of Brazil and Spain during last year’s United Nations General Assembly, but it takes it a step further.” Because far from being an isolated or symbolic gesture, it is an initiative that seeks to defend democracy as a common good."