Right-wing presidential candidates debate populism in Latin America

Right-wing Brazilian politicians, including presidential candidates, participated in Buenos Aires last Friday (22) and on Saturday (23) in an international event to debate perspectives for Latin America in the face of setbacks imposed by current governments. Senators Sergio Moro (União Brasil-PR), Tereza Cristina (PL-MS) and Eduardo Girão (Novo-CE) and the governor of Goiás, Ronaldo Caiado (União Brasil), denounced the authoritarian escalation in the country since the president’s inauguration Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and defended the alliance of conservative forces in the region to fight against left-wing populism.

In his speech at the 2nd Meeting of the Freedom and Democracy Group, held at the Argentine Congress and attended by more than 200 leaders from different countries, including former presidents and former ministers, Senator Moro highlighted the gravity of the political moment in Brazil, in which Lula approaches autocrats such as Nicolas Maduro (Venezuela) and Vladimir Putin (Russia). “Talking about freedom and democracy is essential, especially when we live under the shadow of a government with inclinations towards authoritarian populism, which has turned its back on democracy. We have to support each other to face these challenges,” he said.

On the second day of the meeting organized by Fundacíon Libertad, in which former presidents Mauricio Macri (Argentina) and Sebastian Piñera (Chile) participated, senator Tereza Cristina highlighted risks for Brazil’s economic situation and the advances made under President Jair’s government Bolsonaro (2019-2022). She also presented the PP’s Central Agenda, with 11 “non-negotiable principles” to be followed by her party’s parliamentarians, including the position against the decriminalization of drugs and abortion. One of the themes that dominated the debates was the expansion of international drug trafficking and its infiltration of the State apparatus. “Brazil needs to be more attentive to this serious threat,” she said.

Girão promises to follow the international reporting tour

Senator Eduardo Girão listed a series of arbitrary acts in Brazil, including threats to freedom of expression and democracy itself. He reported that the Brazilian delegation reinforced the allegations of attacks on human rights in the country, such as the curtailment of the defense of prisoners on January 8, which he and other parliamentarians personally took to the United Nations (UN) in July. He warns that his international denunciation crusade will continue in October, this time in Portugal. “May truth, justice and common sense prevail,” he said.

Also on Friday, Governor Ronaldo Caiado highlighted the importance of dialogue and joint discussion of measures to strengthen local democracies. “Democracy and freedom are two sides of the same coin, but they are fragile and can be used by populism, which enslaves the structure of the democratic regime,” he said. He defended that security actions contribute to the democratic rule of law and to the control of drug trafficking, one of the main problems in Latin America today.

Maurício Macri, former president of Argentina and host, reinforced the importance of the event so that leaders can align objectives. “The entire civil society and the entire business world must participate in this debate, to value entrepreneurship and personal development, acting together without being subject to this type of autocracies and destructive ideas”, he said. Also present were former presidents Iván Duque (Colombia), Felipe Calderón (Mexico) and Jorge Quiroga (Bolivia).