In Chile, Lula and presidents from the progressive camp advocate for alternatives to combat anti-democratic threats.

247 - President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva highlighted the importance of defending democratic institutions against authoritarian and unconstitutional government projects. After the High-Level Meeting “Democracy Always”, in Santiago, Chile, Lula stated this Monday (21) that Brazil has “a commitment to defending democracy, multilateralism and working together to address the deep and structural causes that weaken our democratic institutions, their values ​​and legitimacy”.

"Strengthening an active democratic diplomacy, based on cooperation between States that share the values ​​of democracy, social justice, state sovereignty and human rights, as a response to institutional weakening and the advancement of authoritarian, regressive and exclusionary projects," the president said in a statement made alongside other heads of state and government.

During an event in the Chilean capital, Lula made his remarks in the context of negotiations between the Bolsonaro family and the Donald Trump administration (USA), aimed at preventing punishment against Jair Bolsonaro (PL), who is a defendant in the investigation into the coup plot conducted by the Supreme Federal Court (STF).

In early July, the US president made a point of announcing a 50% tariff on Brazilian exports, effective August 1st. In a letter addressed to President Lula, Trump cited the legal proceedings against Bolsonaro as justification for the tariff war.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) opened a trade investigation against Brazil following a request from Trump. In another retaliatory measure against Brazil, the American government suspended the visas of Supreme Court justices to enter the United States.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated that Brazil will respond to the US with the Economic Reciprocity Act. This legislation establishes criteria for the suspension of trade concessions, investments, and obligations related to intellectual property rights in response to unilateral measures adopted by a country or economic bloc that negatively impact Brazil's international competitiveness.

Read the statement issued in Chile: 

Following the High-Level Meeting “Democracy Always”, held in Santiago, Chile on July 21, 2025, the Heads of State and Government gathered here reaffirm our commitment to defending democracy, multilateralism, and working together to address the deep-seated and structural causes that weaken our democratic institutions, their values, and their legitimacy.

We are fully aware that the world is going through a period of profound uncertainty, in which democratic values ​​are constantly challenged. Given this, we believe it is an ethical and political imperative to promote a common strategy to address global phenomena such as growing inequality, disinformation, and the challenges posed by digital technologies and artificial intelligence.

This meeting was a key opportunity to follow up on the first meeting of the "In Defense of Democracy: Fighting Extremism" initiative, organized within the framework of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, consolidating this space for reflection and action in the face of the contemporary challenges to our democracies.

Recognizing that these challenges are multidimensional, interconnected, and complex, the Heads of State and Government present in Santiago reiterate the need for:

● To promote a renewed multilateralism that is more effective, inclusive, and participatory, respectful of the principles of international law and the effective incorporation of citizens in decision-making.

● To promote a reform of the international governance system, particularly the United Nations, that allows it to recover its capacity for action and legitimacy in the face of major global challenges. This implies moving towards fairer and more effective representation, overcoming obstacles arising from the use of the veto, and establishing real mechanisms for compliance and accountability.

● To strengthen an active democratic diplomacy, based on cooperation between States that share the values ​​of democracy, social justice, state sovereignty, and human rights, as a response to institutional weakening and the advancement of authoritarian, regressive, and exclusionary projects.

● To design an alternative narrative to democratic backsliding, with reforms focused on equity and informational integrity; in favor of unrestricted respect for gender equality, against racism and for ethnic diversity; with tools that allow for strengthening public and citizen security and confronting hate speech, disinformation and intolerance.

● To make a firm commitment to reason. We may have different worldviews, but facts cannot be distorted. We consider it necessary, for good politics, that it solves the problems of our people and that it promotes a dialogue of good faith, always seeking the best version of the argument of our interlocutors.

● We reaffirm our firm commitment to peace, respect for international law and international humanitarian law. We urgently call for a ceasefire in Gaza and demand full, safe and unrestricted access for humanitarian aid to the Strip, in accordance with the principles of humanitarian law and under the coordination of the United Nations.

As members of this new initiative, we emphasize the urgency of articulating joint, innovative, and concrete responses that strengthen democratic resilience globally. The challenges of the present demand leadership, boldness, and coordinated action.

During the meeting in Santiago, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Spain, and Uruguay worked on proposals around three central themes: defense of democracy and multilateralism, disinformation and digital technologies, and extremism and inequality, proposing concrete lines of action. This represents substantial progress compared to the process initiated in 2024 and a firm step towards effective cooperation.

Among the initiatives agreed upon, we highlight:

● A commitment to consolidating a network of countries and civil society to promote participatory mechanisms that foster mutual learning and the collective construction of a more open, inclusive democracy connected to citizens' realities.

● To support the establishment of a global network of think tanks that generate rigorous analysis, foster data-driven debate, and contribute to the search for proposals in defense of democracy.

● International collaboration for algorithmic transparency and data management in the digital environment and technical cooperation for democratic digital governance.

● Strengthening the United Nations and UNESCO Global Initiative for Climate Change Information Integrity.

● Monitoring the Seville Commitment as a constructive step towards strengthening financing for development.

● Support for the initiative to form a coalition that promotes and facilitates the establishment of progressive and fair taxation, as well as strengthening international tax cooperation based on the principles of transparency, equity, and sovereignty.

● The promotion of a Multilateral Observatory of Youth in the Face of Extremism, led by the Ibero-American Youth Organization (OIJ), to generate data, exchange best practices, and design inclusive policies from an intersectional and participatory perspective.

Furthermore, we have outlined an action plan towards the next milestone of this initiative: the holding of the second meeting within the framework of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September. This plan represents a concrete step towards building a shared, sustained, and articulated agenda in defense of democracy and against extremism.

We hope that this process will bring together more countries and actors committed to establishing the foundations for a permanent space to coordinate this global initiative in defense of democracy, human rights, and social justice.

We know that this task does not fall exclusively on the States. The active participation of academia, parliaments, civil society, the media, and the private sector is essential. In this sense, we deeply value the initiatives that have been developed by civil society and think tanks during these days in Santiago, which have contributed to reflection and exchange. Only by working together can we revitalize our democracies from a collective perspective.

Finally, we would like to express our gratitude for the enormous effort made by Chile and its Government, which hosted this high-level meeting and allowed us to work together on topics so relevant to the world today.