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Diari de Catalunya

Barcelona Hosts International Summit in Defense of Democracy with Leaders from 22 Countries

The meeting, organized by the Spanish Government, brings together presidents and heads of government to address the rise of the global far-right.

Generic image of a conference room with microphones and blurred flags, representing an international summit.
IA

Generic image of a conference room with microphones and blurred flags, representing an international summit.

The Catalan capital is hosting a significant international meeting that brings together representatives from 22 nations, including seven presidents and seven heads of government, with the aim of strengthening global democratic institutions.

This event, the IV Meeting in Defense of Democracy, has been promoted by the Spanish Government and the PSOE. The gathering is taking place on Saturday at the Fira de Barcelona venue in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat and is expected to last approximately two hours. Its main purpose is to counteract the global wave of the far-right and protect international institutions.
Among the most prominent participants are the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum; the president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; the president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa; the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, and the president of Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi. Additionally, vice presidents, ambassadors, and high-ranking representatives from the European Union and the UN are attending.
Brazilian President Lula da Silva, serving his third term, has advocated for the promotion of peace, social justice, respect for national sovereignty, and the defense of multilateralism. His participation is also part of the Spain-Brazil Bilateral Summit, where the signing of a dozen agreements is anticipated.
Meanwhile, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, on her first official visit to Europe, symbolizes reconciliation with Spain and her country's international stance. Colombian President Gustavo Petro, the first leftist president in Colombia's history, has pushed for healthcare reforms and new strategies against drug trafficking. Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi, political heir to José Mújica, has been noted for his call for national dialogue and consensus.
Finally, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, re-elected in 2024, governs a country facing challenges such as unemployment and inequality. During his tenure, he has promoted an expropriation law to reverse apartheid-era inequalities and has accused Israel before the International Court of Justice in The Hague of genocide in Gaza.
This summit, considered the fourth by the Spanish Government, is the first of its magnitude, with significantly broader participation than previous meetings. The initiative originated in September 2024 in New York, with the intention of creating an international progressive front.

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