Speech by President Lula at the side event "In defence of democracy: fighting against extremism”

I would like to thank those who accepted the invitation that President Pedro Sánchez and I extended to this meeting.

I do not intend to present here a comprehensive diagnosis of the threats we face.

However, it is undeniable that democracy is currently experiencing its most critical moment since World War II.

In Brazil and the United States, totalitarian forces have promoted violent actions to challenge the results of the polls.

In Latin America, fake news is eroding trust and affecting electoral processes.

In Europe, an explosive mix of racism, xenophobia and disinformation campaigns is putting diversity and pluralism at risk.

In Africa, coups d'état demonstrate that the use of force to overthrow governments still reflects the remnants of colonialism.

Understanding why democracy has become an easy target for the far right and its false narratives is a shared challenge.

Extremism is a symptom of a deeper crisis of multiple causes.

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 4 or 5 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 antechamber to totalitarianism.

Our struggle is to ensure that democracy is once again recognized as the most effective way to achieve and uphold rights.

To restore hope to millions of people disinherited by globalization, we need to put the economy at the service of the people.

This does not mean ending the free market, but rather recovering the role of the State as a planner of sustainable development and as a guarantor of well-being and equity.

Freedom of expression is a fundamental right and one of the central pillars of a healthy democracy, but it is not absolute.

It finds its limits in the protection of the rights and freedoms of others, and of the political order itself.

Digital technologies help to promote and disseminate knowledge, but they also increase the risks to civilized coexistence between people.

Digital media has become fertile ground for misogynistic, racist, and xenophobic hate speech that claims victims every day.

Our societies will be under constant threat until we firmly regulate platforms and the use of artificial intelligence.

No technology company or individual, no matter how wealthy, can consider themselves above the law.

They must be held accountable for the content they circulate.

There are new challenges before us for which we have not yet been able to find answers.

The far right has also become electorally viable by organizing the discontented around a discourse of identity in reverse. They blame migrants, women, and minorities for today's problems.

And they do this by straining the limits of democratic institutions.

Giving in to these narratives is falling into a trap.

Retreating will not appease the violent spirit of those who attack democracy to silence and take away rights.

There is no contradiction between social cohesion and respect for diversity. Pluralism strengthens us.

Democracy in its fullness is the basis for promoting peaceful, fair, and inclusive societies, free from fear and violence.

It is fundamental for a world of peace and prosperity.

History has taught us that democracy cannot be imposed.

Its construction is specific to each people and each country.

To restore its legitimacy, we need to recover its essence, and not just its form.

Social participation is one of the main ways to strengthen democratic identity.

Democracy is not a pact of silence.

We need to listen to social movements, students, women, workers, businesspersons, racial, ethnic, and religious minorities.

Protecting those who defend human rights, the environment, and democracy is also key.

The Brazilian experience shows that the balance between the powers that be and the resilience and strengthening of institutions are crucial in protecting these principles.

Only a reinvigorated democracy will allow us to address the dilemmas of our societies and the contemporary world.

Thank you very much.