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

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

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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez return portion successful nan 4th Meeting successful Defense of Democracy, held astatine Fira Barcelona Gran Via successful LâHospitalet de Llobregat, wherever he welcomed nan attending delegations and underscored nan request to fortify world practice successful defense of antiauthoritarian values successful Barcelona, Spain connected April 18, 2026. The arena included nan greeting of heads of delegation and nan accepted family photo, up of nan commencement of nan 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 position 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 nan European Union and NATO, which traditionally align it intimately pinch Washington. However, Sánchez has simultaneously deepened ties pinch nan 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 leader tied world tensions straight to economical and power systems, arguing that fossil fuel dependence has fueled conflict and inequality, an statement that aligns pinch 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 together notable "progressives" pinch an purpose to bring together a world 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 dream for a humanity successful crisis.’ Yet these would-be spokespersons for populist person supported specified inhumane sadistic dictatorships for illustration Cuba, Nicaragua, Maduro’s Venezuela, Iran, and others. This gathering is much aptly characterized arsenic a governmental mascara of electoral autocracies, each leader undermining nan organization checks and balances of unfastened wide democracies," he said.

Brazil’s Lula criticized what he described arsenic interventionist policies by awesome powers and called for a rebalancing of world governance, including changes to nan U.N. Security Council. At 1 point, he characterized caller U.S. activity arsenic contributing to world instability, reinforcing a cardinal taxable of nan summit: that nan existent world 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 family photograph during nan Shield of nan Americas" Summit successful Doral, Fla., connected Saturday, March 7, 2026.  (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

"The caller Cold War is being waged betwixt China and nan United States; it is this very rivalry that is astatine liking successful each state participating successful nan summit. Lula’s interest regarding nan resurgence of nan correct has go patently obvious, peculiarly erstwhile watching Argentina and Chile, wherever nan victories of Milei and Kast person ushered successful ‘winds of change.’ We are, rather literally, surviving done times reminiscent of nan autumn of nan Berlin Wall, specifically, nan 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 nan world progressive near rails against nan United States, talking astir sovereignty and peace, aliases speaking retired against war, they are not doing truthful retired of specified altruism aliases 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 nan 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 nan region.

Taken together, analysts opportunity nan messaging retired of Barcelona suggests nan early stages of a loosely aligned bloc, 1 that is progressively consenting to situation U.S. positions connected world governance, location argumentation and economical strategy.

Chile elected correct helping leader Jose Kast arsenic president.  (Juan Gonzalez/Reuters)

Yet moreover arsenic leaders successful Barcelona pass of a rising right-wing threat, governmental realities crossed the Americas show a different story, 1 that whitethorn resonate much straight pinch U.S. audiences.

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

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

Experts opportunity nan opposition is striking. On 1 side, a group of leaders successful Barcelona is calling for a rethinking of world systems agelong associated pinch U.S. leadership. On nan other, governments crossed nan hemisphere are experimenting pinch approaches that stress economical liberalization and beardown information measures.