The far-right European parties gathered on Saturday, April 18, in Milan. Meanwhile, progressives from around the world met in Barcelona for a forum called “In Defense of Democracy.” Politco Europe described it as an “anti-Trump meeting,” even though the American president’s name was not mentioned directly by the main speakers.
Leaders like Claudia Sheinbaum from Mexico, Lula, Gustavo Petro, and Cyril Ramaphosa from Brazil, Colombia, and South Africa, traveled to Catalonia to join around 6,000 other participants. However, the local star of the event was Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, who was celebrated by the international left.
According to El País, Sánchez was seen as a progressive superhero by many on the left, contrasting with his liberal stance on immigration, the environment, and US foreign policy held against Donald Trump. Sánchez expressed his convictions about bringing billionaires to account and restoring power to the progressives.
The leaders at the forum discussed various topics, including concern for Cuba. Mexico’s Excélsior newspaper noted that Brazil, Spain, and Mexico expressed collective worry for the situation in Cuba, urging efforts to improve conditions for its people and pledging humanitarian coordination.
In another location, in Madrid, opposition leader Mariá Corina Machado did not meet with Pedro Sánchez. Instead, she engaged with members of the traditional Spanish right-wing Partido Popular and the far-right party Vox. This move emphasized the reasons why she believed it was not appropriate to engage with the Spanish Prime Minister during the event in Catalonia.
