A coalition of conservative and far-right parties from Spain and Latin America has declared its intention to secure victory in seven general elections across the region scheduled for this year and 2026, as right-wing forces seek to capitalise on what they describe as growing anti-establishment sentiment, EFE reported.

The Madrid Forum, a self-styled “anti-communist alliance” established in October 2020 by Spain's far-right Vox party, concluded its fourth regional meeting in Paraguay's capital on June 13, exuding optimism about conservative prospects in upcoming polls spanning from Bolivia to Brazil. The gathering, inaugurated by Paraguayan President Santiago Peña, brought together over 1,500 attendees and 40 panelists representing the ideological spectrum of Europe and Latin America's political right.

"For the first time in many decades, there is a real possibility of opening a new era of freedom and prosperity with the defeat of socialism in the region and throughout the West," declared Edmaly Maucó, the forum's project coordinator, reading from the meeting's final statement.

The ambitious electoral calendar includes Bolivia's general election in August, followed by contests in Honduras and Chile in November. The 2026 schedule encompasses Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru, and Brazil – representing some of the region's largest economies and most influential democracies.

The Madrid Forum was founded alongside the Madrid Charter, a manifesto signed by over 8,000 individuals including prominent Latin American politicians such as Eduardo Bolsonaro, Keiko Fujimori, José Antonio Kast and Maria Corina Machado. The organisation positions itself as an "alternative" to "two Latin American leftist platforms, the São Paulo Forum and the Puebla Group," according to its founding documents.

The alliance's rhetoric reflects a broader global trend, bolstered by the return of Donald Trump to the US presidency, of right-wing movements casting themselves as champions of national sovereignty against what they characterise as overreaching international institutions and leftist governance.

According to the forum's concluding declaration, Latin American nations have experienced "firsthand the ravages" of leftist governments and "have understood that socialism corrupts societies, destroys economies, and devastates freedoms."

The group specifically targeted what it termed "the dictatorships of Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, as well as against all those who support them," pledging to intensify political opposition to these governments.

Eduardo Cader, the forum's director, suggested right-wing forces are poised to return to power unless "the left resorts to fraud" or the disqualification of opposing candidates. "Every election will be a battle, and every victory will require courage, strategy and, above all, unity," he said.

The Madrid Forum operates under the auspices of the Disenso Foundation, the think tank affiliated with Spain's far-right Vox party. Santiago Abascal, Vox's firebrand leader, participated in the opening session alongside President Peña, underscoring the alliance's transatlantic character.

“Paraguay is a ‘moral bastion’ and ‘guardian of values’ like family, freedom, and faith, rejecting relativism and defending traditional marriage and community as societal foundations,” Peña said, highlighting the coalition’s emphasis on social conservatism.

Participants lavished praise on several international figures, including Argentine President Javier Milei, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán – all of whom have emerged as standard-bearers for populist right-wing governance.

The gathering reflects growing coordination amongst right-wing movements across continents, with previous forums held in Bogotá (2022), Lima (2023), and Buenos Aires (2024). Organisers pledged to intensify "political cooperation to achieve electoral victories" focused on the seven upcoming contests.

The Madrid Forum's ambitions face significant challenges, including established progressive political systems, incumbent advantages and varying local political dynamics across the targeted countries. But the alliance's strong confidence builds on global trends that have seen right-wing populist movements achieve unexpected electoral success in recent years.

"From Asunción, we send a message of optimism and hope to the entire region and the world: the triumph of freedom, democracy and the rule of law in Ibero-America is possible and within reach of all our peoples," the final statement concluded.