Between August 21 and 23, over 150 progressive representatives from 15 countries gathered in Montevideo, Uruguay, for the Third Pan-American Congress. Lawmakers,ex-presidents, ministers, and progressive political and social leaders from across the Americas were all in attendance.
Drawing inspiration from the Amphictyonic Congress of Panama, convened by Simón Bolívar 200 years ago, the forum brought together the region’s political leaders to debate peace, multilateralism and security, development, digital sovereignty, and well-being and care.
Over the course of three days, the delegations met behind closed doors to develop shared public policies to address global issues that individual governments cannot tackle alone. Among other issues, they discussed the regulation of digital technology, environmental policies, respect for territorial sovereignty, and tax frameworks for large financial capital.
The central issue facing Latin America today is the rise and consolidation of the far right in many countries, where—with the support of the Trump administration—democratic processes and human rights are being undermined. In light of this, the call for collaborative resistance and for sharing the experiences of countries that have lived under such regimes for longer—such as Argentina—is crucial for developing political responses.
A Disheartening Panorama
At the press conference prior to the working sessions, David Adler, coordinator and member of the Progressive International, a left-wing political international, drew attention to the 1826 Panama Congress: “While 200 years ago, Panama sought harmony among nations, the Monroe Doctrine (1823) promoted division and conquest,” he said, noting that these talks aim to foster solidarity among peoples and sovereignty among nations. At that same press conference, U.S. Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL) emphasized a vision of just relations among the countries of the Americas, based on sovereignty and equality; he denounced the so-called “Donroe Doctrine” as violent and imperialist.
The official opening ceremony was attended by Uruguayan Vice President Carolina Cosse. In her speech, she emphasized the tension between politics, sovereignty, and democracy in light of developments in artificial intelligence.
Another speaker, former Colombian President Ernesto Samper, framed the crisis of political representation within the context of challenging times for the region. “The world is not doing well; we have global warming that is causing disasters throughout Latin America. We face hunger in many countries, and a hegemonic challenge we must confront: political groups that are trying to invade our countries and seek to impose a fascist agenda on U.S.-Latin American relations,” he said.
Similarly, former Honduran presidential candidate Rixi Moncada—stressed that the region is now threatened by “the horrors of new capitalist fascism and imperialism, which have unleashed their ambition and fury upon our peoples.”
For her part, Carolina Rangel, secretary-general of Morena, Mexico’s governing party, spoke of the generational struggle against neoliberal policies, which has intensified under Donald Trump’s administration and the rise of global tech megacorporations: “Solidarity and regional cooperation are an antidote to the far-right’s folly in trying to take away our lands, our waters, our forests, our collective roots, and even our very lives,” she stated.
This is America?
On the afternoon of Friday, August 21, the organizers held a public event titled “This is America.” The name itself can be read as reflecting a tension: there is a difference regarding the use of the term “Americans” to refer to both U.S. citizens and Latin Americans—an identity that is shared but unequal. They may be inhabitants of the same continent, but identities, languages, histories, and power dynamics between an imperial power and the Global South unfold within that concept.
There is a difference regarding the use of the term ‘Americans’ to refer to both U.S. citizens and Latin Americans—an identity that is shared but unequal.
On the stage of the century-old Teatro Solís, a new proposal for rethinking “American-ness” and overcoming that tension was presented. There, the young Argentine activist Ofelia Fernández and David Adler, acting as performers, sought to break down that barrier. Adler welcomed “the Americans” in attendance, making it clear that everyone—regardless of where they were born or what language they speak—is a resident of a single America. To which Fernández remarked, “I don’t know if you noticed, but a Yankee said ‘Americans’ when referring to the entire continent.” Afterwards, participants from different countries spoke about regional experiences regarding human rights, justice and peace, grassroots feminism, disinformation, U.S. interventionism, the defense of natural resources, and indigenous peoples, among other topics.
Gerardo Pisarello, a representative from Barcelona in the Spanish Parliament and a member of the Progressive International, argued that there is a problem facing the Americas today: the reactionary international. “It has two major centers of power that act against Latin America. One is in Florida, backed by Marco Rubio, and the other is in Madrid, because the Spanish far right considers itself a descendant of the conquistadors,” he said. “They seek a vassal relationship with the United States that leaves them a few crumbs so that the economic groups with which they are linked can negotiate with the new Latin American governments.”
In turn, Andrés Arauz, 2021 presidential candidate for Ecuador’s Revolución Ciudadana party, explained that the Pan-American Congress is useful for Latin Americans to influence U.S. representatives, “because they are at the heart of the empire and can show solidarity with us, and identify the worst imperial excesses of a government like Trump’s.”
David Adler, who also championed the Pan-American identity of the Congress, explained its historical significance: “Mexican President [Andrés Manuel] López Obrador has always spoken of moving beyond Latin Americanism to advance toward the brotherhood of all the Americas,” he explained. “Centuries ago, we were all colonies of foreign empires, and we all fought for our independence. Today, many Latin Americans see the U.S. flag as a threat, as a symbol of colonization. I am inspired by the U.S. delegation because it comes with a commitment to sit down and listen, to reverse the traditional terms of hemispheric dialogue, and to learn from the consequences of our interventions in order to establish a new paradigm—one that fulfills the Bolivarian dream of solidarity among peoples and sovereignty among nations.”
Taking on the Tech Giants
Another major theme linked to U.S. intervention in Latin America was the digital landscape. The central concern among attendees was the use of technology to interfere in electoral processes. In particular, the focus was on the elections in Brazil, where Luis Ignacio “Lula” Da Silva will face Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of former right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, whom Trump explicitly supports.
The central concern among attendees was the use of technology to interfere in electoral processes.
Brazilian Senator Humberto Costa warned of the risks of external interference in the country’s electoral process, even going so far as to say they do not rule out “direct military intervention [by the U.S.] under the pretext of combating drug trafficking.”
Brazil’s elections are particularly important for the regional left. Over the past year, left-wing parties have lost power in Honduras, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia. Itaí Hagman, an Argentine congressman and economist, spoke about the relationship between these governments and the magnates of so-called “techno-feudalism,” who are taking advantage of this shift to influence governments and secure environmental deregulation and tax incentives. “Today, the debate over sovereignty and the defense of the state as a planner and regulator is a struggle against a train barreling down at full speed that could lead to a social catastrophe.” In Argentina, President Javier Milei has pushed through laws that grant unprecedented tax breaks and limit the regulatory powers of provincial and municipal governments for 30 years in favor of large multinational corporations, facilitating mining in periglacial zones and the installation of AI server farms, among other activities.
Adler added that this is a problem requiring a regional response. “There are issues we can only resolve on a hemispheric scale,” he said. He also noted that such integration should not be limited to the digital realm but should extend to how the climate, economic, and ecological crises are addressed collectively, “not just from every corner of the continent, but as a unified hemispheric force.”
A Roadmap for the Future
The Pan-American Congress concluded on Sunday, August 23, with a meeting of all delegations at the Mercosur Parliament headquarters. At the meeting, participants presented their conclusions of the debates from the first two days. The main consensus was that the problems of our time—economic and technological concentration in the hands of global corporations, the financial system, the climate crisis, and growing barriers to human rights—require regional responses.
The Montevideo Declaration, signed by all participants, included references to the United States’ kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro and the bombing of civilians in the region’s waters under the guise of anti-narcotics operations; the legal war against former Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, former Ecuadorian Vice-President Jorge Glas, and former Colombian President Gustavo Petro; the U.S. blockade of Cuba; the Israeli siege of the Gaza Strip; and migrants detained by ICE, as well as indigenous peoples and social and political leaders persecuted as “terrorists” across the continent.
The next summit will be held in Brazil in 2027, provided that one of the main obstacles mentioned during the Congress can be overcome: that the current string of far-right victories might disrupt the continuity of agreements designed at the regional level.
Daniel Cholakian is a sociologist and journalist specializing in Latin America.