Pedro Sánchez, Lula and an electrifying speech by Claudia Sheinbaum : Barcelona

12 Progressive Leaders Launch Urgent Action Plan to Shield Democracy Against Rising Threats

Telesur

Pedro Sánchez urges global progressive leaders to move from observation to concrete action at the IV Summit in Defense of Democracy in Barcelona. The Spanish prime minister calls for combating inequality, disinformation, and authoritarianism to strengthen democratic institutions worldwide.
Pedro Sánchez Calls on Progressive Leaders to Take Concrete Action to Shield Democracy

Barcelona, April 18, 2026 — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez delivered a forceful appeal to progressive forces worldwide during the opening of the IV Summit in Defense of Democracy, urging them to abandon passive observation and actively defend democratic institutions against growing threats.

Speaking at the Fira de Barcelona, Pedro Sánchez warned that the normalization of force and disregard for international law pose serious dangers to global stability. He stressed that progressives must respond to fear with more democracy and to inequality with greater justice.

Pedro Sánchez called on leaders to “step down from the window to the street” and move from contemplation to direct action.

The summit brings together more than a dozen heads of state and government from across continents, including Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum, and Colombia’s Gustavo Petro.
Participants discussed strategies to counter extremism, polarization, and disinformation while strengthening multilateral cooperation.

The event, co-initiated by Spain and Brazil in 2024, serves as a platform for exchanging ideas on protecting participatory democracy in an increasingly polarized world.

Pedro Sánchez Highlights Priorities for Defending Democracy

Pedro Sánchez emphasized the urgent need to regulate digital environments so that algorithms no longer reward hate speech or violent messages. He noted that his government is advancing legislative proposals to ensure technology serves coexistence rather than undermining it.

A healthy democracy, according to Pedro Sánchez, requires social justice. When progress fails to reach everyone and opportunities remain unequal, democratic legitimacy erodes among citizens. He called for democratic systems to adapt to contemporary societal complexities and deliver tangible results that restore public hope.

Pedro Sánchez argued that what unites progressive leaders is a shared vision of democracy as the only system capable of managing modern pluralism.  The Spanish leader stressed the importance of offering concrete outcomes to rebuild trust in institutions.  He concluded by urging participants to strengthen their global alliance and shift from commitment to coordinated action.

The summit coincides with parallel gatherings, including the inaugural Global Progressive Mobilisation, which brings together thousands of activists, mayors, union leaders, and policymakers to discuss issues ranging from wage inequality to improving electoral performance for progressive forces.

→ La Moncloa: Full speech by Pedro Sánchez at the IV Summit in Defense of Democracy

→ AP News: Lula and Sánchez headline meetings of progressive leaders in Barcelona

→ Sheinbaum Hints at Declaration Against Military Intervention in Cuba

Pedro Sánchez Summit and the Broader Progressive Agenda

The presence of high-level figures such as European Council President António Costa, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and leaders from Uruguay, Lithuania, Ghana, and Albania underscores the global scope of the gathering. Discussions focused on defending multilateralism, respecting rules-based international order, and countering the rise of far-right and authoritarian movements.

Pedro Sánchez and Lula da Silva have played central roles in organizing these forums, building on previous editions held at the United Nations and in Santiago de Chile. The Barcelona meeting also includes bilateral talks, such as the first Spain-Brazil summit involving multiple ministers from both countries.

Over 3,000 participants, including civil society representatives and U.S. Democratic figures, joined related events.  Roundtables addressed wage inequality, green transition, and strategies to combat disinformation.
Leaders highlighted the need for progressives to present credible alternatives to confrontational politics.

Geopolitical Context and Broader Regional Implications

The appeals by Pedro Sánchez and fellow progressive leaders occur against a backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions, including ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, challenges to multilateral institutions, and shifting political landscapes in Europe and the Americas. The summit explicitly positions itself as a response to authoritarian advances and far-right gains observed in recent elections across multiple regions.

In Latin America, progressive governments face pressures from economic inequalities and external influences, while in Europe, polarization threatens social cohesion. Globally, issues such as digital disinformation, climate change, and unequal access to resources test the resilience of democratic systems.

The gathering seeks to strengthen South-South and North-South cooperation among like-minded nations.
Leaders warned that inaction could normalize disregard for international law and weaken institutions designed to protect civilians and promote justice.  By fostering coordinated action, participants aim to restore hope and legitimacy to democracy in the eyes of citizens facing economic uncertainty and social fragmentation.

Broader implications extend to global governance. A strengthened progressive front could influence debates at the United Nations, advance fairer trade and tax policies, and promote peaceful resolutions to conflicts. Success in Barcelona may encourage similar mobilizations elsewhere, offering an alternative narrative to nationalist and isolationist trends that have gained ground in recent years.

Challenges Facing Progressive Movements Worldwide

Despite the momentum in Barcelona, progressive leaders acknowledged significant obstacles. Disinformation campaigns, economic pressures from inflation and inequality, and the appeal of simplistic authoritarian solutions continue to erode public trust in traditional democratic processes.

Pedro Sánchez and his counterparts stressed that adapting democracy to current realities requires bold reforms. These include better regulation of digital platforms, more equitable distribution of wealth, and renewed commitment to multilateral forums that deliver results for ordinary people.

Many participants noted the difficulty of translating shared values into electoral victories amid polarized media environments.  The summit highlighted successful experiences in social policy from countries like Brazil and Mexico as models for broader application. Calls for unity emphasized moving beyond rhetoric to joint initiatives on peace, climate action, and human rights.

Future Outlook for Global Progressive Cooperation

As the IV Summit in Defense of Democracy concludes, attention turns to implementing the ideas discussed. Pedro Sánchez invited participants to build lasting alliances capable of producing visible outcomes and renewing citizen confidence.

The Barcelona gatherings represent more than a one-time meeting. They signal an ongoing effort to revitalize progressive politics on a global scale, countering narratives of inevitable democratic decline.

For citizens around the world facing uncertainty, the message from Pedro Sánchez and fellow leaders is one of hope grounded in action. By addressing root causes such as inequality and disinformation, progressives aim to prove that democracy remains the best framework for managing diversity and delivering justice.

The coming months will test whether this renewed mobilization translates into concrete policies and stronger international solidarity. In an era of rapid change and competing visions, the defense of democracy requires not only words but sustained, collective commitment.

Thank you very much, President Sánchez. Thank you for the invitation. Thanks to all my colleagues—presidents, prime ministers, Gabriel Boric.

I come to the Summit for Democracy on behalf of a hardworking, creative, and resilient people, but above all a deeply generous people—a people that has learned to resist without hatred, to defend its rights without ceasing to respect others, to believe in peace even when history has placed difficult trials and tribulations before it.

I come on behalf of a caring people, even amid adversity, a profoundly humanist people, that resists individualism, rejects discrimination, and refuses with dignity to look at others with contempt.

I come from a people that recognizes its origins in the great Indigenous cultures—those that were silenced, enslaved, and plundered, but never defeated, because there are memories that cannot be conquered and roots that can never be uprooted. I come from the Pyramid of the Sun; I come from Tlaloc, from Huitzilopochtli, from Coatlicue. I come from a millennial history that is not confined to the past, but a living presence in our communities, in our languages, in our way of viewing the world.

I come from a people with deep spiritual values, who know that their history is sacred, because in it they find the strength to rise up, to resist, and to continue forging their destiny with dignity.

I come with the legacy of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, who in 1810 raised his voice for independence and days later had the courage to declare the abolition of slavery. I come with the legacy of José María Morelos y Pavón, who in the Sentiments of the Nation wrote words that still resonate: that sovereignty emanates from the people, that poverty and wealth should be moderated, that dignity admits no castes, only the distinction between vice and virtue.

I come with the legacy of Leona Vicario, who defied her epoch to defend the right of women to fight for their country.

I come bearing the dignity of Josefa Ortiz Téllez-Girón, who reminded us that those who serve the nation should not be rewarded, but those who exploit it should be punished. I come bearing the legacy of the Benemérito de las Américas, President Benito Juárez, an indigenous Zapotec fighter who, along with Mexican liberals, separated Church and State in the mid-19th century, defended the Republic against foreign invasion, and when victorious left us with a truism that belongs to the entire world: “Among individuals, as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace.” I come bearing the legacy of Zapata, Villa, Madero, Carranza, Felipe Ángeles, Adela Velarde, Hermila Galindo—women and men who in 1910 rose not because of ambition, but rather for justice; not for power, but for the right of the Mexican people to live in a democracy, to control their natural resources, and to decide their own destiny.

I come bearing the legacy of General Lázaro Cárdenas, who, when the world closed its doors to Spanish republicans, opened Mexico’s doors to those fleeing pain and war. I come from a country that embraced exiles and turned solidarity into action. I come recognizing the courage of Frida Kahlo, who despite physical fragility, filled the struggle for justice with color.

I come to remind you that Mexico has upheld its principles even in isolation, that it raised its voice against the blockade of Cuba in 1962 when others remained silent. To this day, speaking of that small Caribbean island, we believe that no people is small, but rather great and steadfast when defending its sovereignty and the right to a full life. I also come from the conscious youth who fight every day for a free, democratic, and fairer country—from women and men who believe in peaceful transformation, in social justice, and in human dignity as a universal principle. I come proud of my people, of their history, of their ability to resist, to share, and to never forget those who are most in need—a people who in 2018 decided that democratic development exists when we work for shared prosperity, or as we say in Mexico, “for the good of all, the poor come first.” I come from a people who in 2024 decided to break with a history of machismo and elected their first woman president so that all of us could advance.

I come to the Summit for Democracy to congratulate my fellow presidents who fight for it every day. I come to share what Mexico holds as constitutional principles, born from its history, democratic principles in foreign policy—principles that today resonate loudly and clearly and are more alive than ever on the world stage: respect for the self-determination of peoples, non-intervention, the peaceful resolution of disputes, rejection of the use of force, the legal equality of states, the need for international cooperation for development, respect for human rights, and the ongoing struggle for peace.

Because in a world suffering from war and inequality, these democratic principles remain Mexico’s contribution to the peoples of the world as a symbol of hope. Democratic principles also mean freedom.

But it’s worth asking: what kind of freedom? The freedom defended by conservatism? The freedom to submit to external interests? The freedom to turn nations into modern colonies? Or the freedom of an unregulated market that turns many into nothing and a few into everything? No.

We believe that democracy implies freedom. But freedom is an empty word if it is not accompanied by social justice, sovereignty, and the dignity of peoples. When we speak of democracy, it is not the democracy of elites, but of the people. Not the concentration of wealth, but its distribution. Not imposition, but participation. Not war, but peace. Not indifference and exclusion, but cooperation and inclusion.

When we speak of democracy, we refer to the democratization of culture, access to education, access to healthcare— and the ultimate purpose of governments, which is to ensure the well-being of their people. Democracy, as Abraham Lincoln said, is government of the people, by the people, and for the people. There is no democracy when there is no option for the poor, for the dispossessed.

Therefore, I would like to propose a concrete action that I presented at the G-20: a simple proposal based on a new vision of the United Nations—allocating 10% of global military spending, which amounts to billions of dollars, to promote a global program that would enable millions of people to reforest millions of hectares of land each year. Instead of promoting war, let us promote peace; let us promote life.

I would like to propose a declaration against military intervention in Cuba, so that dialogue and peace may prevail. I would also like to extend an invitation for this summit to be held next in Mexico, where we can engage in dialogue on an economy centered on well-being and on a democracy that responds to the real needs of the people. Because democracy means placing love above hate, cultivating generosity instead of greed, brother and sisterhood above war.

Democracy means that life is not for sale, nor are the freedom or dignity of peoples. Democracy means that only respect for diversity and love for others will make it possible to build a world where everyone belongs—every people, every language, every culture, every nation.

I am a woman of peace, and I represent a nation that loves freedom, justice, and fraternity, and that understands democracy as the great Benito Juárez expressed it:

“With the people, everything; without the people, nothing. With the peoples, everything; without the peoples, nothing.”

Thank you very much.