Madrid Forum

{{short description|Anti-communist organization}} {{use dmy dates|date=February 2022}} {{Infobox organization | name = Madrid Forum | formation = 26 October 2020 | image = File:Madrid Forum.png | caption = | map = | abbreviation = | type = [[Anti-communism|Anti-communist]] organization | status = | purpose = [[Ibero-America]]n network of [[right-wing]] political parties and organisations | headquarters = [[Madrid]], Spain | membership = | leader_title = | leader_name = | main_organ = | parent_organization = | affiliations = | budget = | website = {{URL|https://foromadrid.org/}} | remarks = | native_name = Foro Madrid | image_border = | image_size = | map_size = | map_caption = | extinction = | location = | region_served = Ibero-America | num_staff = | num_volunteers = }} {{Conservatism in Spain|Organisations}} The '''Madrid Forum''' ([[Spanish language|Spanish]]: ''Foro Madrid'') is a [[conservative]] organization created on 26 October 2020 by the Disenso Foundation, [[think tank]] of the [[far-right]] Spanish political party [[Vox (political party)|Vox]].

== Background == According to ''[[The Rio Times]]'', the aim of the Madrid Forum, an anti-communist [[international organization]] with a "permanent structure and an annual action plan", is to be "an alternative" to the "two Latin American leftist platforms, the [[São Paulo Forum]] and the [[Puebla Group]].<ref name=RioTimes2021/> The Sao Paulo Forum "comprises political and social forces, from the Brazilian Workers' Party to the Communist Party of Cuba"; the Puebla Group consists of "a handful of leftist politicians" including [[Alberto Fernández]], [[Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva]], [[Evo Morales]], [[Rafael Correa]], [[Pepe Mujica]], and [[José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero]].<ref name=RioTimes2021/>

The ''Madrid Charter'' is the [[manifesto]] of the Madrid Forum; it gathered more than 8,000 signers from throughout the world, with prominent signers Brazilian [[Eduardo Bolsonaro]], Peruvian [[Keiko Fujimori]] and Chilean [[Jose Antonio Kast]].<ref name=RioTimes2021>[https://www.riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-politics/spanish-and-latin-american-right-wing-politicians-found-madrid-forum-to-counter-leftist-puebla-group/ Spanish and Latin American right-wing politicians found Madrid Forum to counter leftist Puebla group]. The Rio Times, 19 October 2021</ref><ref name=":1"/><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last1=González|first1=Miguel|last2=Galarraga Gortázar|first2=Naiara|last3=Rivas Molina|first3=Federico|date=2021-10-18|title=Vox teje una alianza anticomunista en América Latina|url=https://elpais.com/internacional/2021-10-18/vox-teje-una-alianza-anticomunista-en-america-latina.html |access-date=2021-12-07|website=[[El País]]|language=es}}</ref> The ''Charter'' alerts that countries “hijacked by communist-inspired totalitarian regimes, supported by drug trafficking, under the umbrella of the Cuban regime" have advanced communism.<ref name=RioTimes2021/>

Vox introduced the project to the government of then United States president [[Donald Trump]] while visiting the United States in February 2019, with [[Santiago Abascal]] using his good relations with the administration to build support within the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] and establish ties in America.<ref name=":2"/><ref name=":0"/> In March 2019, Abascal tweeted an image of himself wearing a [[Morion (helmet)|morion]] similar to a [[conquistador]]. Spanish newspaper ''[[ABC (newspaper)|ABC]]'' wrote that this event provided a narrative that "symbolizes in part the [[expansionist]] mood of Vox and its ideology far from Spain".<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|date=2021-09-26|title=La última cruzada de Vox: combatir el comunismo en Iberoamérica|url=https://www.abc.es/espana/abci-ultima-cruzada-combatir-comunismo-iberoamerica-202109262153_noticia.html |access-date=2021-12-07|website=[[ABC (newspaper)|ABC]]|language=es}}</ref> On 3 March 2020, Abascal met with [[Luis Almagro]], Secretary General of the [[Organization of American States]], to discuss the creation of the Madrid Forum.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Avendaño |first=Emily |date=2020-03-04 |title=Foro Madrid, la nueva entidad que busca frenar al Foro de Sao Paulo en la región, incluso en Chile |url=http://ellibero.cl/actualidad/foro-madrid-la-nueva-entidad-que-busca-frenar-al-foro-de-sao-paulo-en-la-region-incluso-en-chile/ |access-date=2023-04-26 |website=[[El Líbero]] |language=es}}</ref>

The Madrid Forum was to hold its first event in [[Madrid]] in June 2020; it was cancelled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], with the ''Madrid Charter'' presented as an online document on 26 October 2020.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":0" />

== ''Madrid Charter'' == The '''''Madrid Charter: In Defense of Freedom and Democracy in the Iberosphere''''' ([[Spanish language|Spanish]]: ''Carta de Madrid: en defensa de la libertad y la democracia en la Iberosfera''), also known as the '''''Letter from Madrid''''', was a manifesto created on 26 October 2020 by the Disenso Foundation think tank of Vox. The document denounced left-wing organizations in Ibero-America, said these groups pose a threat to [[liberal democracy]] through [[communism]].<ref>{{cite web |date=3 September 2021|title=Qué es la Carta de Madrid, el documento que firmaron senadores del PAN y desató la polémica con el partido VOX |url=https://www.infobae.com/america/mexico/2021/09/03/que-es-la-carta-de-madrid-el-documento-que-firmaron-senadores-del-pan-y-desato-la-polemica-con-el-partido-vox/ |access-date=16 August 2023 |website=Infobae}}</ref>

With over 8,000 signatories,<ref name=RioTimes2021/> including over 400 parliamentarians as of 2023,<ref>[https://www.theconservative.online/voxs-international-agenda-brings-ecr-closer-to-latin-americathe Vox’s International Agenda Brings ECR Closer To Latin America]{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, The Conservative, 28 December 2023</ref> the charter was also signed by conservative and some ultraconservative, and far-right politicians from the Americas and the Iberian Peninsula.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=26 October 2020 |title=Abascal promueve una carta con políticos americanos contra el comunismo |url=https://www.infobae.com/america/agencias/2020/10/26/abascal-promueve-una-carta-con-politicos-americanos-contra-el-comunismo/ |access-date=2021-12-07 |website=[[EFE]] |language=es-ES}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Carvajal |first=Álvaro |date=2020-12-27 |title=Vox abre otro frente de disputa con el PP en Latinoamérica |url=https://www.elmundo.es/espana/2020/12/27/5fe73d2c21efa06e428b45a0.html |access-date=2021-12-07 |website=[[El Mundo (Spain)|El Mundo]] |page=14 |language=es}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |date=27 September 2021 |title=Vox estrecha lazos con derecha peruana y suma firmas a su pacto anticomunista |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/per%C3%BA-pol%C3%ADtica_vox-estrecha-lazos-con-derecha-peruana-y-suma-firmas-a-su-pacto-anticomunista/46974610 |access-date=2021-12-07 |website=[[EFE]] |language=es}}</ref> Chilean politician [[José Antonio Kast]], one of the document's signatories, proposed in October 2021 that the signatories of the Madrid Charter establish an International Anti-Radical Left Coordination, stating that "what is happening in Colombia is no coincidence. The model of the antisocial outbreak is repeated in Chile."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Almeida |first1=Andrés |last2=Velásquez |first2=Francisco |date=24 October 2021 |title=Quiénes son los amigos internacionales de José Antonio Kast |url=https://interferencia.cl/articulos/quienes-son-los-amigos-internacionales-de-jose-antonio-kast |access-date=17 August 2023 |website=Interferencia |language=es}}</ref>

=== Content === In the document, signatories define two entities; the first is an allied Iberosphere of nations holding the same roots to the Iberian Peninsula and the second are left-wing groups, such as the [[São Paulo Forum]] and the Puebla Group,<ref name=":0"/> which the charter describes as an enemy and threat to freedom.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=Oñate|first=Sara|date=2021-11-08|title=El Régimen niega haber firmado la Carta de Madrid|url=https://www.elcomercio.com/actualidad/politica/regimen-niega-firma-carta-madrid.html |access-date=2021-12-07|website=[[El Comercio (Ecuador)|El Comercio]]|language=es-EC}}</ref><ref name=":102">{{Cite news|date=6 November 2021|title=Spooked by Venezuela|newspaper=[[The Economist]]|publisher=[[The Economist Intelligence Unit]]|publication-place=[[London]]|volume=9270|issue=441|pages=49}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web|last=Teruggi|first=Marco|date=20 October 2021|title=La derecha dura española descubrió América {{!}} El grupo Vox busca crear una internacional en la "iberoesfera"|url=https://www.pagina12.com.ar/375830-la-derecha-dura-espanola-descubrio-america |access-date=2021-12-07|website=[[Página 12]]}}</ref> The letter condemns leftist groups as being under the influence of Cuba, stating that they are "under the umbrella of the Cuban regime", describes part of the region as being "kidnapped by [[totalitarian]] communist-inspired regimes, supported by [[drug trafficking]]", and says that leftist groups hold an "ideological agenda" to destabilize liberal governments.<ref name=":0"/><ref>{{Cite web|last=Moncada|first=Andrea|date=25 October 2021|title=What's With All the Imperial Spanish Flags in Peru (and Elsewhere)?|url=https://americasquarterly.org/article/whats-with-all-the-imperial-spanish-flags-in-peru-and-elsewhere/ |access-date=2021-12-07|website=[[Americas Quarterly]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web|title=Carta de Madrid|url=https://fundaciondisenso.org/carta-de-madrid/|access-date=2021-12-07|website=Fundación Disenso|date=26 October 2020 |language=es}}</ref> The letter cites respect for the [[rule of law]], [[separation of powers]], and [[private property]].<ref name=":6"/><ref name=":4"/> It called for scholars, the media, and other groups to uphold the objectives of the ''Madrid Charter''.<ref name=":4"/>

=== Promotion === Delegates of Vox travelled throughout Latin America to promote and obtain signatures for the manifesto, meeting with politicians in Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru.<ref name=":5"/><ref name=":8">{{Cite web|date=28 May 2021|title=Vox alerta en Ecuador contra expansión del 'narcosocialismo' en la Iberosfera|url=https://efs.efeservicios.com/texto/vox-alerta-ecuador-expansion-narcosocialismo-iberosfera/18010435637 |access-date=2021-12-12|website=[[EFE]]|language=es}}</ref><ref name=":9"/> While promoting the charter in Ecuador, Vox delegate [[Hermann Tertsch]] said that signatures were necessary to counter "narcosocialism", arguing that "[a]ll Latin American countries are threatened by the same totalitarian project funded mainly by Venezuelan oil and drug trafficking", which Tertsch said was guided by Cuba.<ref name=":8"/> At the meetings in Ecuador, [[Guillermo Lasso]]'s recently-nominated [[Ministry of National Defence (Ecuador)|Minister of National Defense]] Fernando Donoso signed the document along with members of the [[Social Christian Party (Ecuador)|Social Christian Party]] and [[SUMA Party]].<ref name=":8"/>

In Mexico, the visit and signature collection event by Vox caused controversy when [[National Action Party (Mexico)|National Action Party]] (PAN) legislators signed the charter.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web|title=El apoyo al partido español Vox debilita todavía más a la oposición mexicana|url=https://www.efe.com/efe/usa/mexico/el-apoyo-al-partido-espanol-vox-debilita-todavia-mas-a-la-oposicion-mexicana/50000100-4624366 |access-date=2021-12-12|website=[[EFE]]|language=es}}</ref><ref name=":11">{{Cite web|date=3 September 2021|title=Expresidente mexicano ve a la cúpula del PAN "extraviada" por reunión con Vox|url=https://www.efe.com/efe/usa/mexico/expresidente-mexicano-ve-a-la-cupula-del-pan-extraviada-por-reunion-con-vox/50000100-4622064 |access-date=2021-12-12|website=[[EFE]]|language=es}}</ref> PAN politicians received criticism on social media that resulted with conflicts within the party.<ref name=":10"/> Shortly after participating with Vox, PAN politicians distanced themselves from signing the manifesto,<ref name=":11"/> while the party's official Twitter deleted an image of PAN members meeting with Vox representatives.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Salazar|first=Diego|date=30 September 2021|title=La redención de la derecha peruana no pasa por VOX|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> Due to Vox's controversial visit, discussions occurred of Mexico possibly enforcing Article 33 of the [[Constitution of Mexico]], which grants the expulsion of foreign individuals for interfering in Mexican political affairs. [[Andrés Manuel López Obrador]], the president of Mexico, declined this option by stating that "Mexico is a free country. I also say this so that if the gentleman of Vox, Abascal, wants to come again, he can do it. The doors of our country are open, they are always welcome. All foreigners, even if they are opponents."<ref>{{Cite web|date=6 September 2021|title=López Obrador abre las puertas de México a una nueva visita de Vox|url=https://www.efe.com/efe/usa/mexico/lopez-obrador-abre-las-puertas-de-mexico-a-una-nueva-visita-vox/50000100-4623524 |access-date=2021-12-12|website=[[EFE]]|language=es}}</ref>

Peruvian investigative journalism website ''[[OjoPúblico]]'' wrote in an article discussing far-right alliances in the Americas that members of Vox travelled to Peru to obtain signatures, with the parties [[Go on Country]] of [[Hernando de Soto (economist)|Hernando de Soto]], [[Popular Force]] of [[Keiko Fujimori]], and [[Popular Renewal]] of [[Rafael López Aliaga]] signing the document.<ref name=":7"/><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-11-14|title=Poderes no santos: alianzas de ultraderecha en Latinoamérica|url=https://ojo-publico.com/3165/poderes-no-santos-alianzas-de-ultraderecha-en-latinoamerica|access-date=2021-12-07|website=[[OjoPúblico]]|language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Cabral|first=Ernesto|date=2021-01-12|title=Militares en retiro con discursos extremistas se vinculan a políticos para apoyar la vacancia|url=https://ojo-publico.com/3207/militares-en-retiro-discursos-extremistas-y-apoyo-politico |access-date=2021-12-07|website=[[OjoPúblico]]|language=es}}</ref> Peruvian business executives, including the owner of [[Willax Televisión]], also participated in discussions and signed the charter.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-09-25|title=Sociólogo tras reunión de Vox con Fujimori: Se abrazan con quien intentó un golpe en Perú|trans-title=Sociologist after Vox's meeting with Fujimori: They embrace the man who attempted a coup in Peru|location=Lima|url=https://larepublica.pe/mundo/2021/09/25/sociologo-tras-reunion-de-vox-con-fujimori-se-abrazan-con-quien-intento-un-golpe-en-peru/ |access-date=2025-02-08|website=[[La República (Peru)|La República]]|language=es}}</ref> Additionally, Vox created an [[e-participation]] initiative in Peru to gather signatures from Peruvian citizens.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-10-25|title=Partido de ultraderecha Vox busca reclutar integrantes peruanos|trans-title=Far-right Vox party seeks to recruit Peruvian members|location=Lima|url=https://larepublica.pe/politica/2021/10/23/keiko-fujimori-partido-de-extrema-derecha-espanola-vox-busca-reclutar-peruanos-fuerza-popular/ |access-date=2025-02-08|website=[[La República (Peru)|La Republica]]|language=es}}</ref>

=== Signatories === {| class="wikitable" width="1000" !Origin !Signatories !Source |- |{{flag|Argentina}} | {{columns-list|colwidth=8em| * [[Alberto Asseff]] * [[Alejandro Chafuen]] * [[Alejandro Fargosi]] * [[Alfredo Schiavoni]] * [[Carla Piccolomini]] * [[David Schlereth]] * [[Diego Marías]] * Francisco Sánchez * [[Hernán Berisso]] * [[Inés Liendo]] * [[Javier Milei]] * [[José Luis Espert]] * [[Juan Aicega]] * [[Julio Sahad]] * [[Karina Mariani]] * {{ill|Luis Rosales (journalist)|lt=Luis Rosales|es|Luis Rosales (periodista)}} * [[María Zaldívar]] * [[Martín Pugliese]] * [[Pablo Kleinman]] * {{ill|Pablo Torello (politician)|lt=Pablo Torello|es|Pablo Torello (diputado nacional)}} * [[Paola Michielotto]] * [[Santiago Muzio]] * [[Victoria Villarruel]] * [[Waldo Wolff]] }} |<ref name=":4" /> |- |{{flag|Bolivia}} | * [[Arturo Murillo]] |<ref name=":4" /> |- |{{flag|Brazil}} | * [[Bia Kicis]] * [[Eduardo Bolsonaro]] |<ref name=":102" /><ref name=":4" /> |- |{{flag|Chile}} | * [[José Antonio Kast]] * [[Vanessa Kaiser]] |<ref name=":102" /><ref name=":4" /> |- |{{flag|Colombia}} |{{columns-list|colwidth=8em|* [[John Marulanda]] * {{ill|Margarita Restrepo|lt=Margarita Restrepo|es|Margarita Restrepo}} * [[María Clara Escobar]] * [[María Fernanda Cabal]] * [[Paloma Valencia]] * [[Paola Holguín]]}} |<ref>{{Cite web |last=Espectador |first=El |date=2021-10-31 |title=ELESPECTADOR.COM |url=https://www.elespectador.com/politica/la-extrema-derecha-espanola-a-la-conquista-politica-de-colombia/ |access-date=2022-10-06 |website=ELESPECTADOR.COM |language=spanish}}</ref> |- |{{flag|Costa Rica}} | * [[Dragos Dolanescu Valenciano]] * [[Fabricio Alvarado Muñoz]] * [[Otto Guevara Guth]] |<ref name=":4" /> |- |{{flag|Cuba}} |{{columns-list|colwidth=8em| * [[Alejandro González Raga]] * [[Antonio Rodiles]] * [[Dulce Canal Hernández]] * [[Ernesto Ortiz]] * [[Hilda Molina]] * [[Léo Juvier-Hendrickx]] * [[Orlando Gutierrez-Boronat]] * [[René Bolio]] * [[Rosa Maria Payá]] * [[Yaxys Cires]] * [[Zoé Valdés]] }} |<ref name=":4" /> |- |{{flag|Ecuador}} |{{columns-list|colwidth=8em| * [[Amparo Medina]] * [[André Santos Espinoza]] * [[César E. Benítez]] * [[Cristina López (politician)|Cristina López]] * [[Esteban Torres Cobo]] * [[Felipe León]] * [[Fernando Balda]] * [[Gabriela Weber]] * [[Guillermo Lasso]] (alleged) * [[Héctor Yepes]] * [[Henry Kronfle]] * [[Jairo Darío Lalaleo Valencia]] * [[Luis Espinosa Goded]] * [[Mario Cuvi]] * [[Mario Pazmiño Silva]] * [[Martha Cecilia Villafuerte]] * [[Max Meitzner]] * [[Otto Sonnenholzner]] * [[Pedro Pablo Duart]] }} |<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /><ref name=":8" /> |- |{{flag|El Salvador}} | * [[Alejandrina Castro]] |<ref name=":4" /> |- |{{flag|France}} | * [[Marion Maréchal]] |<ref name=":4" /> |- |{{flag|Greece}} | * [[Emmanouil Fragkos]] |<ref name=":4" /> |- |{{flag|Honduras}} | * [[Mauricio Villeda]] |<ref name=":4" /> |- |{{flag|Italy}} | * [[Giorgia Meloni]] * [[Nicola Procaccini]] |<ref name=":4" /> |- |{{flag|Mexico}} |{{columns-list|colwidth=8em| * [[Alejandra Reynoso Sánchez]] * [[América Rangel Lorenzana]] * [[Carlos Leal (politician)|Carlos Leal]] * [[Eduardo Verástegui]] * [[Elsa Méndez Álvarez]] * [[Fernando Rodríguez Doval]] * [[Gina Cruz Blackledge]] * [[Guadalupe Murguía Gutiérrez]] * [[María Guadalupe Saldaña Cisneros]] * [[Indira Rosales San Román]] * [[Juan Antonio Martín del Campo]] * [[Julen Rementería del Puerto]] * [[Marco Antonio Gama]] * [[Mario Romo]] * [[Minerva Hernández Ramos]] * [[Nadia Navarro Acevedo]] * [[Pablo Adame]] * [[Raúl Torres Guerrero]] * [[Roberto Juan Moya Clemente]] * [[Sarai Nuñez Cerón]] * [[Víctor Oswaldo Fuentes Solís]] }} |<ref name=":4" /> |- |{{flag|Netherlands}} | * [[Derk Jan Eppink]] |<ref name=":4" /> |- |{{flag|Paraguay}} | * [[Dannia Ríos]] * [[Hugo Vera Ojeda]] * [[Tito Aranda]] * [[Víctor Pavón]] |<ref name=":4" /> |- |{{flag|Peru}} |{{columns-list|colwidth=8em| * [[Adriana Tudela]] * {{ill|Aldo Mariategui|es}} * [[Alejandro Muñante]] * [[Alfonso Baella]] * [[Ángel Guillermo Delgado Silva]] * [[Carlos Hamann]] * [[Carmen Patricia Juárez]] * {{ill|César Combina|es}} * [[Daniel Córdova]] * [[Dardo Lopez-Dolz]] * [[Diana Seminario]] * [[Diego Acuña]] * [[Diethell Columbus]] * [[Edgar Callo Wong]] * [[Elizabeth Du-Bois Curcio]] * [[El Comercio Group|Elizabeth Dulanto de Miró Quesada]] * [[Enrique Ghersi Silva]] * [[Erasmo Wong Lu]] * [[Ernesto Álvarez Miranda]] * [[Ernesto Bustamante]] * [[Fabiola Morales]] * [[Fernando Cálmele del Solar]] * [[Fernando Cillóniz]] * [[Francisco Tudela]] * [[Gustavo Nakamura]] * [[Hernando Guerra García]] * [[Javier Bedoya Denegri]] * [[Javier González Olaechea|Javier González-Olaechea]] * {{ill|Jorge Montoya Manrique|es}} * [[Jorge Villena]] * [[Jorge Zeballos]] * {{ill|José Cueto|es}} * [[José Williams]] * [[Juan Bosco Hermoza]] * [[Juan Carlos Lizarzaburu]] * [[Keiko Fujimori]] * [[Luis Galarreta]] * [[Maricarmen Alva]] * [[Miguel Santamaría Dávila]] * [[Miguel Yagi Higa]] * [[Nelson Roberto Pardo]] * [[Nestor Quizpez-Asin]] * [[Noelia Rossvith Herrera Medina]] * [[Pedro Olaechea]] * [[Rafael López Aliaga]] * [[Rosangella Barbarán]] * [[Vanya Thais|Vanya Melissa Thais Iriarte]] * [[Victor Andrés Ponce]] * [[Yorry Warthon]] }} |<ref name=":5"/><ref name=":102" /><ref name=":4" /> |- |{{flag|Portugal}} | * [[André Ventura]] |<ref name=":4" /> |- |{{flag|Spain}} | * [[Hermann Tertsch]] * [[Jorge Buxadé]] * [[Rocío Monasterio]] * [[Santiago Abascal]] |<ref name=":4" /> |- |{{flag|Sweden}} | * [[Charlie Weimers]] |<ref name=":4" /> |- |{{flag|United States}} |{{columns-list|colwidth=8em| * [[Alberto Fernandez (diplomat)|Alberto Fernández]] * [[Alejandro Chafuen]] * [[Alfonso Aguilar]] * [[Terry Schilling]] * [[American Conservative Union|Dan Schneider]] * [[Daniel Garza (activist)|Daniel Garza]] * [[Daniel Pipes]] * [[Grover Norquist]] * [[John Fonte]] * [[John Pence]] * [[Property Rights Alliance|Lorenzo Montanari]] * [[Matt Schlapp]] * [[Mike González (writer)|Mike González]] * [[Pablo Kleinman]] * [[Roger Noriega]] }} |<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Ballesteros|first=Roberto R.|date=2021-02-26|title=Los organizadores del evento conservador del año en Estados Unidos apoyan a Abascal|url=https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/2021-02-26/organizadores-evento-conservador-ano-estados-unidos-apoyan-a-abascal_2970128/ |access-date=2021-12-08|website=[[El Confidencial]]|language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=26 February 2021|title=Los organizadores del evento conservador del año en Estados Unidos apoyan|url=https://twitter.com/vox_es/status/1365386571856420871 |access-date=2021-12-08|website=[[Vox (political party)|Vox]]|language=en}}</ref> |- |{{flag|Uruguay}} | * [[Pablo Viana]] * [[Pedro Isern]] |<ref name=":4" /> |- |{{flag|Venezuela}} |{{columns-list|colwidth=8em| * [[Alberto Franceschi]] * [[Alfredo Mago]] * [[Álvaro Guerrero (judge)|Álvaro Guerrero]] * [[Antonio Ledezma]] * [[Aquiles Martini Pietri]] * {{ill|Biagio Pilieri|es}} * [[Carlos Bastardo]] * [[Carlos Ortega (unionist)|Carlos Ortega]] * [[Carlos Salazar (union leader)|Carlos Salazar]] * [[Dignora Hernández]] * [[Diego Arria]] * [[Eduardo Flores (activist)|Eduardo Flores]] * [[Edwin Luzardo]] * {{ill|Enrique Aristeguieta Gramcko|es}} * [[Humberto Calderón Berti]] * [[Humberto González (activist)|Humberto González]] * [[Ignacio de León (economist)|Ignacio de León]] * [[Jesús Petit DaCosta]] * [[Johanna Montenegro]] * [[José Luis Pirela]] * [[Juan Carlos Bolívar]] * [[Juan Pablo García (politician)|Juan Pablo García]] * [[Luis Barragán (politician)|Luis Barragán]] * [[María Corina Machado]] * [[Melquiades Pulido]] * [[Milos Alcalay]] * [[Nafir Morales]] * [[Nahem Reyes]] * {{ill|Nitu Pérez Osuna|es}} * Noel Álvarez * [[Omar González Moreno]] * [[Pedro Urruchurtu]] * [[Richard Blanco (politician)|Richard Blanco]] * [[Vladimir Petit Medina]] * [[Wilfredo Bello]] }} |<ref name=":4" /> |}

== Meetings ==

=== 1st Regional Meeting === The 1st Regional Meeting of Foro Madrid was held in Bogotá in February 2022.<ref name=":14">{{Cite web |last= |date=2023-04-14 |title=Los empresarios aliados del Foro Madrid, el encuentro de la extrema derecha fascista |url=https://wayka.pe/los-empresarios-aliados-del-foro-madrid-el-encuentro-de-la-extrema-derecha-fascista/ |access-date=2023-04-26 |website=[[Wayka]] |language=es |archive-date=30 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230530013722/https://wayka.pe/los-empresarios-aliados-del-foro-madrid-el-encuentro-de-la-extrema-derecha-fascista/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=":15">{{Cite news |last=PERÚ |first=NOTICIAS EL COMERCIO |date=2022-02-18 |title=Vox {{!}} Colombia: Disturbios en Foro Madrid del partido de España que reúne a la derecha de América Latina en Bogotá {{!}} Hotel Radisson {{!}} MUNDO |url=https://elcomercio.pe/mundo/latinoamerica/vox-colombia-disturbios-en-foro-madrid-del-partido-de-espana-que-reune-a-la-derecha-de-america-latina-en-bogota-hotel-radisson-noticia/ |access-date=2023-04-26 |newspaper=El Comercio |language=es}}</ref> At the meeting, a group of fifty [[far-left]] protesters gathered to denounce the Madrid Forum, some chanting "Bogotá will be the tomb of fascism", with some individuals damaging the exterior of the hotel where the event occurred.<ref name=":15" /> Police dispersed the protesters and the forum accused leftist presidential candidate [[Gustavo Petro]] of organizing the protests.<ref name=":15" /><ref name=":16">{{Cite web |title=Atacan hotel donde se realizaba Foro de Madrid organizado por VOX en el norte de Bogotá |url=https://www.infobae.com/america/colombia/2022/02/18/atacan-hotel-donde-se-realizaba-foro-de-madrid-organizado-por-vox-en-el-norte-de-bogota/ |access-date=2023-04-26 |website=[[infobae]] |date=18 February 2022 |language=es-ES}}</ref> During the event, the forum emphasized the importance of the upcoming [[2022 Colombian presidential election]] and the [[2022 Brazilian general election]], saying a threat of "narco-communist threat" loomed over Latin America.<ref name=":16" />

=== 2nd Regional Meeting === During the 2nd Regional Meeting of Foro Madrid was held in Lima in March 2023 and was virtually attended by Abascal, who described the Sao Paulo Forum and the Puebla Group as "criminal organizations".<ref>{{Cite web |title=La arenga de Rafael López Aliaga durante el Foro Madrid en Lima: "¡Viva Vox, viva el Perú!" |url=https://www.infobae.com/peru/2023/03/30/rafael-lopez-aliaga-durante-foro-madrid-en-lima-viva-vox-viva-el-peru/ |access-date=2023-04-26 |website=[[infobae]] |date=30 March 2023 |language=es-ES}}</ref><ref name=":13">{{Cite web |last=Valencia |first=Martha |date=2023-03-29 |title=Foro Madrid se desarrolla en Lima con grupos y congresistas de derecha |url=https://elbuho.pe/2023/03/foro-madrid-se-desarrolla-en-lima-con-grupos-y-congresistas-de-derecha/ |access-date=2023-04-26 |website=El Búho |language=es}}</ref> The forum also called for the ousting of Petro, who became president of Colombia, stating that the [[2022 Colombian presidential election]] was fraudulent, and alleged that he was aligned with drug traffickers and that Russia interfered with social networks to support him.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2023-03-11 |title="La elección de Gustavo Petro como presidente debe anularse": el Foro de Madrid |url=https://www.semana.com/politica/articulo/la-eleccion-de-gustavo-petro-como-presidente-debe-anularse-el-foro-de-madrid/202329/ |access-date=2023-04-26 |website=[[Semana]] |language=spanish}}</ref> Conservative Peruvian newspaper [[El Comercio (Peru)|''El Comercio'']] described the meeting as an event "with some radicalisms for the grandstand and no narrative that promises change from the right",<ref>{{Cite news |last=PERÚ |first=NOTICIAS EL COMERCIO |date=2023-04-01 |title=La derecha: mucho dato, poco relato. Crónica sobre sobre el Foro Madrid en Lima {{!}} POLITICA |url=https://elcomercio.pe/politica/actualidad/la-derecha-mucho-dato-poco-relato-cronica-sobre-sobre-el-foro-madrid-en-lima-noticia/ |access-date=2023-04-26 |newspaper=El Comercio |language=es}}</ref> while ''[[Wayka]]'' described it as a "meeting of the fascist extreme right", and cited Elisabeth Dulanto Baquerizo de Miró Quesada of the family that owns [[El Comercio Group]] as one of the attenders; her company helped to host the meeting.<ref name=":14" />

=== 3rd meeting === The third meeting was held in September 2024 in Buenos Aires, featuring 40 speakers representing 15 countries with a theme to condemn [[Nicolás Maduro]] and "support the Venezuelan people and condemn the lukewarm response of the international community, as well as to recover the spaces of freedom taken away by the criminal left and the non-left in the Western world".<ref>[https://voz.us/en/world/240907/16192/total-condemnation-of-maduro-call-for-unity-and-support-for-trump-the-madrid-forum-in-buenos-aires.html Total condemnation of Maduro, calls for unity and support for Trump: The Madrid Forum in Buenos Aires], Voz, 7 September 2024</ref>

== Analysis == [[France 24]] describes the Forum as "an alliance of right and far-right Spanish and Latin American lawmakers".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230503-spain-s-far-right-mps-snub-visiting-colombian-leader | title=Spain's far-right MPS snub visiting Colombian leader | date=3 May 2023 }}</ref> The Spanish newspaper ''[[El País]]'' wrote: "Fundamentalists (Catholics and Evangelicals), neocons and [[Ultraliberalism#Market liberalism|ultra-liberals]], right-wing populists and those nostalgic for military dictatorships make up the anti-communist alliance that the Spanish party Vox is weaving in Latin America."<ref name=":0"/> ''[[Página 12]]'', a [[Kirchnerist]] newspaper edited in [[Buenos Aires]], described the initiative as a "[[cultural war]]" declared by Vox and "a conservative offensive on what democratic advances that had or have begun in Latin America at the beginning of this century".<ref name=":7"/> Political scientist Kathy Zegarra of the [[Pontifical Catholic University of Peru]] discussed [[Keiko Fujimori]]'s participation with Vox's initiative. She said: "It's beneficial for the far-right public. However, it generates liabilities especially for those citizens who have more tolerant ideas; ... it is negative for those citizens who have more progressive values, who have values in favor of human rights."<ref name=":9">{{Cite web|date=2021-10-12|title='En Perú no deberían preocuparse': expertas trazan la naciente influencia de Vox en la región|trans-title='In Peru they shouldn't worry': experts trace Vox's nascent influence in the region|location=Lima|url=https://larepublica.pe/mundo/2021/10/12/en-peru-no-deberian-preocuparse-expertas-trazan-la-naciente-influencia-de-vox-en-la-region-keiko-fujimori/ |access-date=2025-02-08|website=[[La República (Peru)|La República]]|language=es}}</ref> Khemvirg Puente, a political scientist of the [[National Autonomous University of Mexico]], said that the participation of PAN politicians in the charter was a way for Mexican president [[Andrés Manuel López Obrador]] to confirm his rhetoric against the party and that this act moved the party to the [[far right]], making it unattractive to voters.<ref name=":10"/> In Peru, prominent heads of businesses, especially in the mining industry, supported the Madrid Forum.<ref name=":14" />

== See also ==

* [[Conservative Manifesto]]

== References == {{reflist}}

===Works cited=== * {{cite journal |last1=Arroyo Menéndez |first1=Millán |title=Las causas del apoyo electoral a VOX en españa |journal=Política y Sociedad |date=2020 |location=[[Madrid]] |volume=57 |issue=3 |pages=693–717 |doi=10.5209/poso.69206 |s2cid=241063503 |doi-access=free|url=https://docta.ucm.es/bitstreams/b8fded9b-6e93-4bd9-be7d-3f5a322518d3/download }} * {{Cite journal |last=Ferreira |first=Carles |date=2019 |title=Vox como representante de la derecha radical en España: un estudio sobre su ideología |trans-title=Vox as Representative of the Radical Right in Spain: A study of its Ideology |journal=Revista Española de Ciencia Política |volume=51 |language=es |issue=51 |pages=73–98 |doi=10.21308/recp.51.03 |doi-access=free |issn=2173-9870|url=https://kar.kent.ac.uk/79042/1/articulo%20vox.pdf }}

== External links == * [https://fundaciondisenso.org/carta-de-madrid/ ''Carta de Madrid: en defensa de la libertad y la democracia en la Iberosfera''] – Fundación Disenso [[Category:Anti-communist organisations in Spain]] [[Category:Far-right politics in South America]] [[Category:Ibero-America]] [[Category:Opposition to left-wing politics]] [[Category:Political manifestos]] [[Category:Politics of Cuba]] [[Category:Politics of Peru]] [[Category:Politics of South America]] [[Category:Politics of Spain]] [[Category:Politics of Venezuela]] [[Category:Vox (political party)]]