Held at the La Moneda Palace, the meeting was attended by the presidents of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva; Uruguay, Yamandu Orsi; Colombia, Gustavo Petro; the host country, Gabriel Boric; and the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sanchez.

Sanchez warned, during his speech at the event, that societies currently face the threat of a coalition of interests between the oligarchy and the extreme right, both in the Americas and Europe.

Faced with this scourge, the president of the Spanish government called for strengthening institutions and multilateralism and combating disinformation through digital governance to ensure that algorithms do not manipulate opinions or weaken social cohesion and coexistence.

He also advocated for reducing inequalities because they are the breeding ground used by the extreme right to spread extremism and polarization.

President Lula, who warned that only by combating inequalities is it possible to restore social cohesion and legitimize democracies, agreed with this view.

In his speech, the Brazilian president forewarned that liberal democracy has not been capable of responding to contemporary aspirations and needs. He highlighted the symbolism of holding this democracy summit in Chile, a country that suffered one of the bloodiest attacks in Latin American history, alluding to the 1973 coup d’etat.

The Chilean president, in turn, warned of the threat currently posed by the spread of organized crime in the region.

Boric concluded his remarks with a call for a ceasefire in Gaza, and the United Nations, especially its Security Council, takes action and ends the blockade so that humanitarian aid can reach so many people in need.

Meanwhile, Yamandu Orsi expressed his confidence that more countries will join the democracy summit to be held in New York in September.

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