Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is beginning a two-day visit to Spain on Friday. During this visit, he will meet with his Spanish counterpart, Pedro Sánchez, as well as leaders from several mid-sized and smaller countries who are concerned about the state of democratic governance and the rise of far-right populism.
Both Lula and Sánchez have been critical of US President Donald Trump, who has threatened them with punitive tariffs. They are viewed as champions of progressive or liberal politics in their regions, where reactionary parties and far-right movements have gained traction in recent years.
Lula and Sánchez, accompanied by their cabinet ministers, are scheduled to meet at a former royal palace in Barcelona on Friday. They are expected to sign agreements related to their economies, technology, and social policies. This bilateral meeting will pave the way for a second day of discussions, as Lula and Sánchez will engage with other leaders at two events at a large conference centre in Spain’s second-largest city.
Addressing polarisation and misinformation
The IV Meeting in Defence of Democracy will take place on Saturday, an event initiated by Brazil and Spain in 2024 to address “extremism, polarisation, and misinformation” that threaten participatory democracy. The first two editions were hosted at the United Nations, and the last was in Santiago, Chile.
Lula and Sánchez oppose many of Trump’s policies, including his actions toward Iran, but Lula clarified that this summit will not focus on Trump. “This is not going to be an anti-Trump meeting,” he stated in El País. The discussion will centre on the state of democracy and necessary repairs.
Notable attendees include European Council President António Costa, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Colombian President Gustavo Petro, as well as leaders from various countries.
Sheinbaum’s involvement follows King Felipe VI‘s acknowledgement of Spain’s colonial abuses. Amid a rightward political shift in Latin America, Sheinbaum has become a powerful leftist voice, balancing her relationship with Trump while advocating for regional sovereignty.
Global progressive mobilisation
Leaders from the first event will remain for the inaugural Global Progressive Mobilisation later on Saturday. This gathering of left-leaning politicians and policymakers was initiated by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and former Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven after discussing the idea at a prior meeting. Both Sánchez and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will speak at the event, expected to attract around 3,000 attendees, including US Democratic Senator Chris Murphy. Topics will cover wage inequality and improving election outcomes for progressives.
Sánchez is having a busy week, recently returning from a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. His government has closed its airspace to US planes related to the Iran war and is not allowing the US to use military bases in southern Spain for these actions. Earlier, Lula expressed solidarity with Pope Leo XIV after Trump criticised the pontiff for condemning the Iran war.
Pol Morillas, director of the CIDOB think tank, told The Associated Press that these gatherings aim to demonstrate the strength of traditional democratic leaders against the populist far-right. He linked them to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney‘s recent speech at Davos, which emphasised the need for middle powers to find new strategies in a world dominated by aggressive superpowers. Lula, Sánchez, and others hold that the world should not be ruled solely by great powers.
This article used information from The Associated Press.
