A view of one of the plenary sessions of Global Progressive Mobilization, in Barcelona, Spain, April 17, 2026. Photo: GPM website.
The Global Progressive Mobilization (GPM), an international summit of progressives from around the world, was inaugurated on Friday, April 17, in Barcelona, Spain. The event brings together representatives of political movements from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and Latin America to establish a strategic alliance to confront the global rise of the far right.
The summit, which will continue until Saturday, April 18, seeks to lay the foundations for a historic pact that unifies progressive parties in the defense of participatory and humanist democracy.
It is expected to be a historic event, creating a political alternative in response to the advance of far-right forces and looking for solutions to safeguard social justice and democracy through the union of diverse regions and generations.
On the inaugural day, the participants emphasized that the priority is to rebuild multilateralism and restore the usefulness of international law—tools they consider indispensable to curb military aggressions and protect the sovereignty of peoples against unilateral impositions.
The Latin American delegation is the highlight of the event, with the presence of Presidents Gustavo Petro (Colombia), Claudia Sheinbaum (Mexico), Yamandú Orsi (Uruguay), and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Brazil). Along with representatives from Chile and Ecuador, these presidents propose that the next forum be held in Latin America.
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Axel Kicillof, governor of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, emphasized the need to organize a solid alternative to the policies of Javier Milei’s far-right government. The Global South’s presence reaffirms that the unity of popular forces is the only way to ensure a social transformation that transcends continental borders.
During the day, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also held a bilateral meeting at the first Spain-Brazil summit. There, they reaffirmed the importance of international organizations as spaces for open negotiation.
The leaders argued that multilateral forums should not be empty structures, but rather instruments of direct action to resolve global crises.
The platform emerges as a result of a collective effort driven by Pedro Sánchez and the Swedish trade union leader and social democratic politician, Stefan Löfven, since its conception at the latest Congress of the Party of European Socialists (PES) in Amsterdam. Lula da Silva’s Brazilian government has provided continuous strategic support.
The initiative brings together, for the first time, the political platforms of the Socialist International, the Party of European Socialists, and the Progressive Alliance under one umbrella.
For two days, thinkers, activists, and representatives from parties across all continents will coordinate actions to tackle the global challenges of our time, aiming to turn conviction into tangible results.
This space marks the beginning of a long-term journey to build lasting cooperation and shared capacity to curb the ambitions of authoritarian neoliberalism. The event’s program includes panels and workshops that set the progressive agenda for the coming years, with participation from unions, foundations, and think tanks from various regions. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that there are no representatives from Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, China, and a host of other countries of the Global South that are targeted the most aggressively by US imperialism.
The plenary sessions are broadcast live through the organization’s official channels, so the international community can follow the debates aimed at assessing the impact of the global left.
This mobilization in Barcelona reaffirms that the unity of progressive networks is one of the keys to achieving prosperity for humanity and restoring the value of multilateral diplomacy.
(Telesur) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/SF
