Overview
- - The Barcelona gatherings, which run Friday and Saturday, convene about 3,000 participants with leaders including Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa and Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum.
- - Spain has closed its airspace to U.S. planes linked to the Iran war and says the U.S. cannot use jointly operated bases in southern Spain for actions related to that conflict.
- - Sánchez and Lula on Friday signed 15 Spain‑Brazil agreements covering critical minerals, telecommunications, artificial intelligence, trade and satellite links.
- - Two linked events anchor the effort: the IV Meeting in Defence of Democracy and the inaugural Global Progressive Mobilisation, which organizers say will set common actions on defending democracy, fair wages and the green transition.
- - The push elevates Sánchez’s global profile as a Trump critic and Gaza war opponent, even as he faces domestic strains, including a lack of a parliamentary majority and a corruption case against his wife reported this week.