After the failure of the Lima Group, Latin American right-wing former presidents created a new group to continue interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, such as attempting to overthrow the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro.

Lima Group 2.0: Right-Wing Latin American Ex-Presidents Demand US Interventionism in Venezuela

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Ibero-American leaders create group to favor freedom and democracy

The background of the coordination of the right and the extreme right in the world (Spanish)

The launch of the “ Liberty and Democracy” platform headed by former president Sebastián Piñera, is another example of the way in which characters and organizations from the conservative and ultra-conservative segments are being articulated in Latin America and Europe mainly. The meeting held these days is in addition to the meeting of the International Foundation for Freedom that featured Vargas Llosa, Aznar and Moro and the assembly of the Political Conference of Conservative Action where representatives of Trump and Bolsonaro, José Antonio Kast and Abascal. To carry out the coordination and articulation plans, they have entities such as the American Conservative Union, the National Rifle Association, the International Freedom Foundation, the Pensar Foundation, the Atlantic Institute of Government, the Gatestone Institute and the Atlas Network, considered the think tank . tanks of the global extreme right. And there is financing that comes from entities such as MasterCard, Phillip Morris, Telefónica, Endesa, Repsol and Exxon Mobil, along with organizations such as the Private Enterprise Center and Harris Media.

Hugo Guzman Journalist. “The century”. Santiago. 3/18/2023. A few days ago, a meeting was held in and from the Chilean capital between former presidents and representatives of the Latin American and European right and extreme right, where the group “Freedom and Democracy” was presented, headed by former Chilean president Sebastián Piñera.

The meeting had a hybrid format, some in person and others remotely, and was attended, along with several leaders from different parties and countries, by former presidents Mariano Rajoy and José María Aznar (from the Spanish extreme right), Maricio Macri, (ultra-conservative Argentine representative ), Andrés Pastrana and Iván Duque (from the Colombian right and extreme right), Jorge Quiroga (from the Bolivian right), Felipe Calderón (Mexican right) and Guillermo Lasso (Ecuadorian right).

That was, by the way, not the first nor the only meeting of leaders, former presidents, parties and groups of the right and extreme right that for at least five years have been promoting meetings of coordination, articulation, debates and even political training.

In October of last year, in Madrid, the event was held for the 20 years of the far-right International Foundation for Freedom, chaired by the Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, an intellectual linked to conservative ideology. Participating, among others, were the former Spanish president, José María Aznar, the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso (renowned ultra-conservative spokesperson), the former Mexican president Felipe Calderón (of the right-wing National Action Party), and Sergio Moro, former Jair Bolsonaro’s Minister of Justice.

In November 2022, in Mexico City, the meeting of the Conservative Action Political Conference (CPAC) was held, which since 1974 has operated as an articulator of extreme right sectors. Eduardo Verástegui, from the Viva México Movement, attended; Steve Bannon, strategist for former President Donald Trump, accused of instigating the assault on the Capitol; Brazilian legislator Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of the former president; the former president of Poland, Lech Walesa; Jay Aeba, president of the Japanese Conservative Union; José Antonio Kast, former presidential candidate in Chile; Santiago Abascal, leader of Spain’s Vox party; Gergely Gulyás, Minister of Government of Hungary; the US senator, renowned anti-communist, Ted Cruz, among several others.

Last year, the Viva 22 event was held, a festival that the Spanish ultra-conservatives organized at the Espacio Mad Cool in Valdebebas in Madrid, in front of the training ground of the Real Madrid football club. The call and organization was in charge of the far-right party Vox. Greetings came from the former president of the United States, Donald Trump, from the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, from the head of the Hungarian Government, Viktor Orbán, from the leader of the Chilean extreme right, José Antonio Kast, from the former Colombian president, Álvaro Uribe, noted as a sponsor of far-right paramilitary groups, and of the daughter of Jeanine Añez, the Bolivian politician who led the coup against former president Evo Morales.

These meetings gave an account of the coordination spaces of the extreme right on a global scale, which include constant tours of its representatives to various countries, organizing talks, seminars and political meetings aimed at influencing local and regional processes.

To give some examples, there was the visit of the leaders of the far-right Republican Party, Rojo Edwards and Cristian Araya, and the meetings of José Antonio Kast with Bolsonaro and his team, and with directors of far-right groups from Spain, Hungary, Germany , Argentina and the United States.

Where to aim

In the statements and documents of the far-right representatives, objectives such as defending freedom, democracy, conservative and Christian values, the environment, solid governments, the neoliberal economy and individual property are claimed.

It also seeks to confront communism and populism, left-wing governments, “gender ideology” and feminism, the rights of migrants. Many ultraconservative groups promote neo-fascist, nationalist and racist theses.

Piñera, in the recent meeting of his sector, stated that “today’s issue is facing the great threats to freedom and democracy. It is necessary to group together to defend them,” he said, emphasizing the need for articulation of the right-wing and extreme right segments.

And he aimed at one of the most cherished objectives of conservatives and ultra-conservatives on a global scale: going against Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. This includes hostility and work against left-wing and progressive governments such as those in Mexico, Bolivia, Honduras, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, among others, although to date they present gaps in positioning towards countries like China. There is, by the way, determined support for Ukraine.

It is also proposed to confront the Sao Paulo Forum and the Puebla Group, instances of coordination and conversation of left-wing, progressive and social democratic parties in Latin America.

Concrete joint supports

For a couple of years now, the extreme right has been promoting an international articulation to promote these ideas, support governments of that type (such as the administrations of Donald Trump in the United States, Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, Giorgia Meloni in Italy, Volodímir Zelenski in Ukraine) and fiercely oppose left-wing or progressive governments, launching their most powerful darts against Cuba, Venezuela, Mexico and Brazil.

To carry out the coordination and articulation plans, they have entities such as the American Conservative Union, the National Rifle Association, Human Events, Young America’s Foundation, the Political Conference of Conservative Action, the International Foundation for Freedom, the Pensar Foundation, the Institute Atlántico de Gobierno, the Foundation for Analysis and Social Studies, The Heritage Foundation, Gatestone Institute and the Atlas Network, considered the think tanks of the global extreme right. According to a Eulixe report, Atlas Network “has been linked to supporting campaigns against left-wing politicians to support right-wing and far-right alternatives in a variety of countries, such as  Mexico , Chile, Bolivia or Colombia, through the use of botsand false accounts to spread hoaxes and ‘fake news’.”

There is not only support from political organizations or studies. Press reports indicate financial and network support from transnationals such as MasterCard, Phillip Morris, Telefónica, Endesa, Repsol and Exxon Mobil, along with organizations such as the Private Enterprise Center and Harris Media. Donations feed foundations, study centers, legislative and presidential candidates, and hundreds of media outlets.

The articulation includes mutual support around publications, seminars, training and education schools, communication teams and dissemination strategy, support for electoral campaigns, development of universities and work towards the local and regional press.

In an interview with Proceso, communicator Julián Macías indicated that international organizations of the extreme right seek to “influence governments, large companies and investment funds around the world.” He indicated that powerful groups such as the Atlas Network are “behind the communication strategies of electoral campaigns of ultra-conservative candidates in Latin America and other regions, they participate in black campaigns and hate messages against adversaries, using anonymous trolls , bot   farms and the use of fake accounts…”

In an interview with Pie de Página, philosopher Diana Fuentes expressed that in these forces there is “a deep conviction that democracy is a danger, and that it is a danger because it is the progressive agenda. There is the key. In reality, when you look at who those called are, you realize that that is what they have in common: a deeply anti-democratic spirit, because they see democracy as a threat to traditional values, among which would be the most traditional registers of conservatism: defense of the family, rejection of abortion, for women to decide about our motherhood, for the LGBT agenda. Some even go so far as to say that there is a replacement of the religious world by science.”

The leadership of the extreme right and the right are located in the former presidents Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro, Mauricio Macri, Viktor Orbán, Felipe Calderón, José María Aznar, Lech Walesa, Álvaro Uribe and Sebastián Piñera; in intellectuals and academics such as Marios Vargas Llosa, Enrique Krauze (Letras Libres magazine), Carmen Iglesias (Royal Academy of History of Spain); businessmen such as the Venezuelan magnate Gustavo Cisneros, Antonio Brufau, president of Repsol, the American billionaire Robert Mercer, the Canadian media businessman, Ezra Levant; political figures such as Santiago Abascal (Vox of Spain), José Antonio Kast (Republican Party of Chile), Sergio Moro (former Minister of Justice of Bolsonaro), Marine Le Pen (National Front of France), Giorgia Meloni (Prime Minister of Italy) , Volodymyr Zelensky (president of Ukraine), Alexander Gauland and Alice Weidel (of the German far-right).

A solid and articulated international network that seeks to have a decisive impact on internal political and social processes, with a global dimension where coordination between organizations, foundations, political representatives, former leaders, intellectuals and academics is reinforced.