Sánchez argues that progressive governments must lead the way towards a future based on the principles of equality, freedom and social justice

New York (United States of America)

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, has taken part in the tribute to Chilean President Salvador Allende, commemorating the 50^th anniversary of Allende's historic speech to the United Nations in 1972. The event, held at the Cervantes Institute in New York, was attended by the current President of Chile, Gabriel Boric, with whom Sánchez met before the start of the event, and one of the honouree's daughters, Senator Isabel Allende.

The President of the Executive has declared that, especially at the present time, "as progressive leaders, we must lead the march towards the future based on the principles of equality, freedom and social justice".

On 4 December 1972, the then President of Chile, Salvador Allende, made an applauded speech to the United Nations General Assembly, in which he vehemently expressed his progressive ideology in favour of the most disadvantaged and the weakest.

Sánchez pointed out that today, as Allende also advocated 50 years ago, the collective objective of society is to protect the rights of the weak against the abuse of the strong, to share the burdens and to ensure that those who have the most and benefit most from the economic situation are committed and contribute their fair share. He stressed that these principles reinforce democratic convictions. Before the UN, Allende asserted: "Ours is a permanent struggle for the establishment of social freedoms, of economic democracy, through the full exercise of political freedoms".

The progressive ideological depth and the denunciation of power expressed during his speech has turned this speech into one of the most important references for social democracy and international progressivism. Allende was assassinated on 11 September 1973, during the coup d'état to overthrow him.

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, together with Senator Isabel Allende and other participants in the tribute to Salvador Allende | Pool Moncloa / Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

During his speech, Pedro Sánchez stressed that the progressive agenda must show determination, "at a time when, as has been demonstrated, people are turning to the state to suppress uncertainty".

The President of the Government of Spain recalled that Allende fought so that Chile could benefit from its own natural resources, and drew a parallel with the consequences of Putin's war against Ukraine, "which subverts the world order and undermines essential principles for peaceful coexistence". "In this context, the energy crisis, rising prices and the food crisis resulting from the conflict threaten the social majority. Protecting the working and middle class majority is an essential mandate for the progressive forces, just as it was in Allende's time", Pedro Sánchez stressed.

For the Chief Executive, the current challenge is to ensure that all countries can grow and prosper according to a climate-sustainable economic model. For this reason, the Government of Spain advocates a just ecological transition as a major driver for inclusive economic growth. But, as the President argued, "climate action will only be effective if government, business and citizens align their efforts in an honest, coordinated way".

"We live in a time of historic acceleration, which calls for determination and boldness across all levels. But more than any other issue, in the fight against the increasingly visible effects of mankind's actions on the planet. In this challenge, the progressive forces must lead the advances against the conservative temptation to maintain a status quo for which no change is acceptable", concluded the President of the Government of Spain.

Bilateral meeting between the President of the Government of Spain and the President of Chile

Meeting between the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the President of the Republic of Chile, Gabriel Boric, before the tribute to Salvador Allende | Pool Moncloa / Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

Before the tribute began, the President of the Government of Spain met for the first time today with the President of the Republic of Chile, Gabriel Boric, to discuss issues of shared interest, such as ecological transition, social reforms, historical memory and regional integration.

The Government of Spain is committed to strengthening Latin American integration spaces and reinforcing Latin America's weight in the world order. In this regard, the two presidents discussed the forthcoming EU-CELAC Summit to be held during the six months of the Spanish Presidency of the EU.

Sánchez has shown the Government of Spain's interest in promoting bilateral cooperation through sharing experiences in terms of public policies with a high social impact, such as care for migrant populations, care policies, water management and policies, feminist foreign policy and democratic memory.

Non official translation