The left-leaning heads of government from Spain and four South American countries convened in Chile on Monday, calling for unity in response to rising extremism and growing US protectionism.
Arriving in Chile, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez posted on X: ‘Today, the leaders of five countries will express our commitment to democracy and multilateralism in the face of the regression in freedoms and rights that the world is witnessing.’
‘We work with the conviction that democracy is the best path for peace, social cohesion and opportunities for all,’ he said.
Meeting under the banner ‘Democracy Always’, the leaders gathered as US President Donald Trump continues to escalate tariff disputes and as Washington’s relationships with several long-time allies show increasing strain. ALSO READ: USA skips UN summit in Seville aimed at raising trillions of dollars to combat poverty.
‘Today, in many parts of the world, democracy is under threat,’ Chilean President Gabriel Boric said as he opened the summit alongside Spain’s Sánchez, Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Colombia’s Gustavo Petro and Uruguay’s Yamandu Orsi.
Boric said that he had extended invitations to Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Canada’s Mark Carney, though none were able to attend.
In his opening speech, he attributed the erosion of democracy to ‘disinformation, extremism of all kinds, the advance of hatred, corruption, the concentration of power and inequality’.
Boric explained that the Santiago meeting aimed to explore strategies ‘to strengthen our democracies and multilateralism’, with concrete proposals expected to be shared at the United Nations General Assembly session in New York this September. ALSO READ: Spain to present resolution at UN General Assembly to ‘stop killing’ in Gaza.
‘Defending truth, defending science, and opposing deception … must also be part of our debate,’ the Chilean president added.
The summit took place in the context of intensifying friction between Trump and various left-leaning leaders globally. ALSO READ: Trump threatens Spain with trade war: ‘We’re going to make them pay double’.
At the centre of current tensions is Brazil, where Trump ally Jair Bolsonaro faces trial for allegedly attempting to orchestrate a coup against Lula.
Lula responded to the US president’s pressure last week by denouncing it as ‘unacceptable blackmail’, after Trump threatened 50% tariffs in connection to the trial, which he described as a ‘witch hunt’.
Speaking at the meeting, Spain’s Sánchez warned: ‘Our societies face a real threat led by a coalition of interests between oligarchs and the far-right’ – a coalition of ‘hatred and lies that is advancing dangerously’. ALSO READ: Spain’s home minister blames ‘rhetoric’ of far-right Vox for anti-migrant unrest in Torre Pacheco.
Lula, meanwhile, stressed the shared position among those attending: ‘the need to regulate digital platforms and combat disinformation’.
This issue is central to Brazil’s ongoing dispute with Trump’s administration, which has targeted a judge presiding over Bolsonaro’s case and has criticised rulings aimed at curbing the spread of online falsehoods.
Boric also cautioned against ‘extremism and authoritarianism’ being used as tools to silence opposition and restrict free discourse.
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Los gobiernos progresistas encabezamos la respuesta ante la internacional reaccionaria que nos quiere llevar al pasado.
La esperanza reposa en políticas que fortalecen la democracia, combaten la desinformación y reducen la desigualdad. pic.twitter.com/xwtkkLqHxt
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) July 21, 2025
Cinco voces progresistas, un mismo compromiso. Hoy viajaré a Chile para abordar los riesgos a los que se enfrentan nuestras democracias.
Trabajamos con la convicción de que la democracia es el mejor camino para la paz, la cohesión social y las oportunidades para todos.
Comparto… pic.twitter.com/EBvGToJxCw
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) July 20, 2025
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