Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez began a tour of Latin America in Chile on Monday, which included participation in an international forum on the defence of democracy and meetings related to promoting the agreement between the EU and Mercosur.
Government sources say the trip is part of Spain's strategy to strengthen ties between the EU and Latin America.
Speaking at the Democracia Siempre ("Democracy Always") forum organised by Chilean President Gabriel Boric, Sánchez called on progressive leaders in Latin America to "step forward" and "go on the offensive" against the rise of the far right.
The Spanish leader warned that democracy is threatened by a "coalition of interests between oligarchs and the far right," which, he noted, represents a "real threat" in both the Americas and Europe.
Sánchez denounced "international hate and lies" which he said is spreading across both continents and described it as a "moral duty" to defend democratic values on all fronts.
As the primary course of action, Sánchez proposed strengthening democratic institutions, combating disinformation and reducing inequality. He also announced that Spain will host the next edition of the summit in 2025, which this year took place in Santiago.
Chilean leader Boric said that modern threats to democracy were not limited to military force, but include more subtle elements. He said this includes misinformation, extremism, corruption and inequality.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the forum urged progressive governments to respond "with concrete and urgent actions" as they are faced with a "new anti-democratic offensive."
Colombian President Gustavo Petro emphasised that the leaders gathered at the forum had deepened their understanding of key challenges such as the climatic crisis, artificial intelligence, world peace and the defence of democracy and freedom.
At the forum, the Latin American leaders and Sánchez also met with invited experts, including American economist and Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, philosopher Susan Neiman and South Korean economist Ha-Joon Chang.
More than 300 representatives from Chilean civil society organisations also participated.
The forum's goal is to promote joint reflection on the state of democratic institutions and propose cooperative measures among participating countries. The initiative stems from a previous meeting held last year during the UN General Assembly and is promoted by Sánchez and Silva.
