Mariana Gomez del Campo *

The clear choice of Javier Milei As president of Argentina, he leaves us with two important lessons. The first is the rejection of a large majority of Argentinians Kirchnerism. Despite their democratic rhetoric, the ‘K governments’ have been allies of those who deny human rights abuses. Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. They have been an important part of networks such as the Puebla Group, which, with spokespeople such as Bolivia’s former presidents, Evo Morales and from Ecuador, Rafael CorreaThey endorse authoritarian practices, undermine democracy and give oxygen to dictators through their public statements. The second lesson is the need to form a majority from the political center in favor of freedom and democracy. The success of the new Argentine government will depend on the ability of the center right to provide governability and common sense to the new government.

Need for common sense

On a continent where the electoral pendulum often swings back and forth between maximalist positions on both sides of the political spectrum, sensible voices and democrats capable of developing political projects to provide long-term direction to responsible governments and to fulfill their promises and the wishes of the Latin American people. Bolivarian socialism promises easy solutions and ultimately disappoints the hopes of millions of Latin Americans. A stadium of football full of people shouting: “Down with Petro!” in the recent match Colombia against Brazil in Barranquilla, staged this disappointment in a very drastic way.

Milei: the fifth wave?

The caste

In Mexico the president Andrés Manuel López Obrador He is not just looking for proximity to the region’s dictators. It also pursues an authoritarian agenda of systematically dismantling state organs such as the National Electoral Institute or the Supreme Court of the Nation. It is only through the joint work of historically opposing opposition parties that we have managed to halt some aspects of their anti-democratic agenda.

Even more so, thanks to this collaboration and the senator’s exceptional leadership Xochitl Galvezin june 2024 we have a real opportunity to… bolivarian socialism and to the international networks of the authoritarian left that have caused us so much damage. To achieve this we need the eyes of the international community positions in this election process. As has happened with many governments of this line, that is probably the case AMLO and his party will not want to easily acknowledge a possible defeat.

Free America Forum

He Mexican example It shows us that we can only win together. This experience is very important for all lovers of freedom and democracy in Latin America. In this sense, a hope was recently born, the «Free America Forum». It happened at the end of October 2023. We call on political parties, think tanks, political leaders, civil society representatives and other actors for a celebration of freedom and democracy in the world. Mexico City. More than 30 organizations and participants from 25 countries responded to this call. The Free America Forum wants to be a new space. It aims coordination and dialogue to create a common front from the political center, with clear values ​​and principles. Always on the side of democracy. Always on the side of freedom.

‘There are no dollars to dollarize’

Between the fatigue and the uncertainty of change

The enormous media attention in the region for our meeting in October showed that many have been waiting for a space like the Free America Forum. On our stage, former presidents shared their experiences. The vice president of Parliament of Ukraine thanked those present for their solidarity in the face of the attack by Vladimir Putin and the new generation of politicians contributed their enthusiasm for one Free America. Our challenge now is to convert this experience into a permanent space unit democratic in the face of the threat.

Beyond the diversity Of those present at the first edition of the Free America Forum, we all came together when, in the presence of the former presidential candidate and former political prisoner of Nicaragua, we Felix Maradiaga, we present a human rights award to an empty chair. This chair represented Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, Bishop of Matagalpa in Nicaragua, political prisoner of dictator Daniel Ortega sentenced to more than 26 years in prison. Monsignor’s inhuman fate is shared by many activists in Venezuela and Cuba, countries internationally defended by the Puebla Group and its allies. The politically persecuted need the Democrats of the world, and they need us. (OR)

Mariana Gómez del Campo is president of the Christian Democratic Organization of America and representative of the Congress of the Union of Mexico for the National Action Party.

*This text was originally published in Diálogo Político.