Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva gestures as he talks during a joint press conference with Spain’s Prime Minister at the Palacio de Pedralbes in Barcelona on 17 April 2026.

• Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva warned that “setbacks” to democracy could open the door to authoritarian regimes ahead of a progressive leaders’ meeting in Spain.
• Lula and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez are hosting talks in Barcelona focused on strengthening democracy amid global political tensions.
• Leaders, including President Cyril Ramaphosa, are expected to attend the “In Defence of Democracy” gathering.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva warned on Friday that allowing “setbacks” to democracy would bring authoritarian regimes like Hitler’s, ahead of a gathering of world left-wing leaders in Spain.

Lula and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez are due to headline Saturday’s meeting in Barcelona in a bid to lead an alliance of progressive forces against a rising right and far right.

“What we want is to talk and see if we can find a solution to strengthen the democratic process in the world, so that we don’t allow any setbacks,” Lula told a joint news conference with Sánchez in Barcelona.

“Because when there is a setback, a Hitler happens.”

Conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and Iran, as well as trade turmoil caused by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, have contributed to an erosion of the UN-led system of cooperation between countries that has prevailed since World War II.

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Sánchez said that the multilateral order “must be improved” and “renewed”, which would be the focus of Saturday’s talks.

Although that system had brought human rights and respect for territorial integrity, its values “are being attacked by that reactionary wave, by authoritarians, by disinformation, evils that threaten the strength of our democratic institutions”, Sánchez said.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum, Gustavo Petro of Colombia, European Council chief Antonio Costa and Irish President Catherine Connolly are among the leaders expected at the “In Defence of Democracy” meeting.

Lula, Sánchez and Ramaphosa are also due to address the closure of a separate two-day gathering of progressive politicians, social actors and thinkers in Barcelona.

Lula took part in a Spain-Brazil summit on Friday that saw agreements signed on the fight against crime, discrimination and gender violence, as well as on economic cooperation and AI.