Hours after to speak At the opening of the debate of heads of state of the 79th General Assembly of the United Nations (UN), in New York, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva participated this Tuesday (24) in a parallel event, organized by him and the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, in the meeting “In defense of democracy: fighting against extremism”, also at the UN headquarters, in the North American city. At the event, Lula took stock of the loss of confidence in the democratic regime, shaken by the worsening of capitalist exploitation, opening space for extremism and totalitarian forces.
“Liberal democracy has proven to be insufficient and has frustrated the expectations of millions. It has become nothing more than a ritual that we repeat every four or five years. A model that works for big capital and abandons workers to their own devices is not democratic. A system that privileges white men and fails black women is immoral. Abundance for the few and hunger for the many in the 21st century is the prelude to totalitarianism. Our struggle is to ensure that democracy is once again seen as the most effective path to achieving and enforcing rights,” said the president. For Lula, democracy is experiencing its most critical moment since World War II.
The meeting was attended by the presidents of France, Emmanuel Macron; of Cape Verde, José Maria Neves; of Chile, Gabriel Boric; and of the European Council, Charles Michel. Also present were the prime ministers of Canada, Justin Trudeau; of East Timor, Xanana Gusmão; of Barbados, Mia Motley, as well as representatives of Norway, Colombia, Kenya, Mexico, the United States, Senegal and the UN.
Transparency
Pedro Sánchez, co-host of the meeting, addressed the problem of destabilization caused by digital networks and spoke about a plan to promote democracy. “It is necessary to promote transparency and accountability in the media and digital platforms, and especially in all those who develop artificial intelligence. In Spain, we have just approved an action plan for democracy, in which we address these and other issues, and we have implemented concrete measures to improve the quality of information, strengthening transparency. Citizens must know who owns the media that are behind the information that is published and consumed,” he said.
Despite criticizing capitalism, Lula noted that he does not advocate “ending the free market, but rather restoring the role of the State as a planner of sustainable development and as a guarantor of well-being and equity.” Regarding freedom of expression, the Brazilian president says that it is central to an absolute democracy, but it cannot be absolute, and he defended the regulation of social networks to contain the spread of speeches that lead to oppression. “Digital technologies help promote and disseminate knowledge, but they also increase the risks to civilized coexistence between people. Digital networks have become fertile ground for misogynistic, racist, and xenophobic hate speech that claims victims every day. Our societies will be under constant threat until we are firm in regulating platforms and the use of artificial intelligence,” he said.
“I pray that we don’t have to go through another World War before we can do the right thing. We are on board with this bloc because the democratic system, which, even with its imperfections, because of inequality, because of excessive dependence on the market, is the best model,” said Barbados Prime Minister Mia Motley.
Combating extremism
Both Lula and Sánchez pointed out that Tuesday’s meeting marks the beginning of a series of other activities between these countries to defend democracy and combat extremism.
“Extremist movements promote hate speech, polarization, division, intolerance, radicalization and violence, weakening civic dialogue and threatening social cohesion. Extremists always seek to undermine citizens’ trust in institutions, which guarantee freedoms and the rule of law,” said the President of Cape Verde, José Maria das Neves.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric said that progressive leaders who defend democracy should not hesitate to condemn authoritarianism, regardless of ideology. He cited the cases of Venezuela, Israel, Nicaragua and Russia.
“In these situations, we need to adopt a single position as progressive countries. We, as progressive movements, need to be able to defend principles. And in this, I think we sometimes fail, because we do not use the same measure to judge those who are on our side.”
