Latin American leftists met in Spain, signaling push against US influence on continent

MEXICO CITY: The caller high-profile gathering of leftist leaders successful Barcelona, convened by Spain’s socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, is drafting expanding attraction for what analysts picture arsenic a broader geopolitical positioning that could situation U.S. power crossed Latin America and beyond.

The acme brought unneurotic Brazil president Lula da Silva, Colombia’s Gustavo Petro, and Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum. Framed arsenic a level for addressing inequality, clime alteration and the emergence of right-wing governmental movements, yet the rhetoric coming from it has raised questions successful Washington and crossed the portion astir whether a much coordinated governmental counterweight to the United States is taking shape.

Without naming the Trump administration, Sánchez warned of the "normalization of the usage of force" and "attempts to undermine planetary law", arsenic disapproval of U.S. overseas policy. He besides pushed for reforms to planetary institutions, arguing that the existent strategy nary longer reflects today’s geopolitical realities, a presumption that implicitly challenges long-standing U.S. enactment successful those bodies.

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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez instrumentality portion successful the 4th Meeting successful Defense of Democracy, held astatine Fira Barcelona Gran Via successful LâHospitalet de Llobregat, wherever helium welcomed the attending delegations and underscored the request to fortify planetary practice successful defence of antiauthoritarian values successful Barcelona, Spain connected April 18, 2026. The lawsuit included the greeting of heads of delegation and the accepted household photo, up of the commencement of the leadersâ meeting. Among those attending were South African President Cyril Ramaphosa; Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum; Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva; erstwhile Chilean President Michelle Bachelet; and Colombian President Gustavo Petro.  (Lorena Sopena Lopez/Anadolu via Getty Images)

"The Barcelona acme reflects a deliberate effort by Pedro Sánchez to presumption himself arsenic a starring fig wrong an emerging progressive bloc that is progressively captious of U.S. overseas argumentation nether President Trump," Juan Angel Soto, laminitis and CEO of Fortius Consulting told Fox News Digital.

"This positioning is peculiarly analyzable fixed Spain’s structural anchoring successful some the European Union and NATO, which traditionally align it intimately with Washington. However, Sánchez has simultaneously deepened ties with the Global South, evident successful his increasing proximity to China, arsenic good arsenic to leaders specified arsenic Lula, Sheinbaum, and Petro, suggesting a dual-track overseas argumentation that seeks greater autonomy from U.S. influence," Soto said.

The Colombian person tied planetary tensions straight to economical and vigor systems, arguing that fossil substance dependence has fueled struggle and inequality, an statement that aligns with broader disapproval of Western-led economical models.

Roberto Salinas León, Director of International Affairs astatine Universidad de la Libertad successful Mexico City, told Fox News Digital: "The ill-named acme "In Defense of Democracy" held successful Barcelona brought unneurotic notable "progressives" with an purpose to bring unneurotic a planetary contingent opposed to, well, Trump 2.0. How convenient."

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Chinese President Xi Jinping and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez shingle hands earlier their gathering successful Beijing, China September 9, 2024 (China Daily via Reuters)

"Petro stated that ‘Latin American progressivism is simply a ray of anticipation for a humanity successful crisis.’ Yet these would-be spokespersons for ideology person supported specified inhumane brutal dictatorships similar Cuba, Nicaragua, Maduro’s Venezuela, Iran, and others. This gathering is much aptly characterized arsenic a governmental mascara of electoral autocracies, each person undermining the organization checks and balances of unfastened wide democracies," helium said.

Brazil’s Lula criticized what helium described arsenic interventionist policies by large powers and called for a rebalancing of planetary governance, including changes to the U.N. Security Council. At 1 point, helium characterized caller U.S. enactment arsenic contributing to planetary instability, reinforcing a cardinal taxable of the summit: that the existent planetary bid needs to beryllium redefined.

President Donald Trump, center, Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader, 2nd from left, Argentina's President Javier Milei, El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, Guyana's President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, Costa Rica's President Rodrigo Chaves Robles, Bolivia's President Rodrigo Paz and Chile's President-elect Jose Antonio Kast airs for a household photograph during the Shield of the Americas" Summit successful Doral, Fla., connected Saturday, March 7, 2026.  (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

"The caller Cold War is being waged betwixt China and the United States; it is this precise rivalry that is astatine involvement successful each state participating successful the summit. Lula’s interest regarding the resurgence of the close has go patently obvious, peculiarly erstwhile observing Argentina and Chile, wherever the victories of Milei and Kast person ushered successful ‘winds of change.’ We are, rather literally, surviving done times reminiscent of the autumn of the Berlin Wall, specifically, the illness of ‘21st-century socialism’ crossed Hispanic America, and this is precisely what has them truthful worried," Brazilian governmental expert Sandra Bronzina told Fox News Digital

"When the planetary progressive near rails against the United States, talking astir sovereignty and peace, oregon speaking retired against war, they are not doing truthful retired of specified altruism oregon bully intentions. Rather, they are driven by a shadowy self-interest: ensuring that China continues to colonize our nations, a process that is, evidently, already good underway."

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Mexico’s Sheinbaum underscored the rule of nationalist sovereignty, reiterating Latin America’s longstanding accent connected non-intervention. She joined different leaders successful opposing sanctions connected countries specified arsenic Cuba, signaling a willingness to coordinate positions that diverge sharply from U.S. argumentation successful the region.

Taken together, analysts accidental the messaging retired of Barcelona suggests the aboriginal stages of a loosely aligned bloc, 1 that is progressively consenting to situation U.S. positions connected planetary governance, determination argumentation and economical strategy.

Chile elected close helping person Jose Kast arsenic president.  (Juan Gonzalez/Reuters)

Yet adjacent arsenic leaders successful Barcelona pass of a rising right-wing threat, governmental realities crossed the Americas archer a antithetic story, 1 that whitethorn resonate much straight with U.S. audiences.

In Argentina, sweeping economical reforms focused connected deregulation and fiscal subject person captured planetary attraction arsenic an alternate to state-led models. In El Salvador, assertive information policies person dramatically reduced violence. And successful Ecuador, a renewed absorption connected law-and-order and organization power is emerging arsenic a effect to escalating cartel violence.

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Analysts accidental these examples item a antagonistic to the Barcelona communicative successful that a important information of the portion is moving toward policies centered connected security, marketplace reforms and stronger authorities authorization — priorities that often align much intimately with U.S. strategical interests.

Experts accidental the opposition is striking. On 1 side, a radical of leaders successful Barcelona is calling for a rethinking of planetary systems agelong associated with U.S. leadership. On the other, governments crossed the hemisphere are experimenting with approaches that stress economical liberalization and beardown information measures.