What is the Madrid Charter and which politicians have signed it?
Executive summary
The Madrid Charter is a 2020 manifesto produced by the Disenso Foundation linked to Spain’s Vox party that frames a transatlantic struggle against what it calls a resurgent “communist” threat in Ibero‑America and invites politicians, intellectuals and activists to join a coordinated front; Vox reports thousands of signatories while critics describe the initiative as a vehicle for far‑right networking [1] [2] [3]. Prominent names publicly associated with the Charter include Brazil’s Eduardo Bolsonaro, Peru’s Keiko Fujimori, Chile’s José Antonio Kast and Argentina’s Javier Milei, but the roster is fluid and reported totals and classifications vary across sources [1] [4] [5].
1. Origins and stated purpose: a manifesto from Vox’s Disenso Foundation
The Charter—presented online on 26 October 2020—was produced by the Disenso Foundation connected to Vox and billed as “in defense of freedom and democracy in the Iberosphere,” explicitly naming regional left‑wing groupings such as the São Paulo Forum and the Puebla Group as threats to liberal democracy and urging non‑violent, political resistance [1] [2]. Vox and the Charter’s promoters cast the document as a unifying statement for conservatives and anti‑communists across Spain and Latin America and planned the Madrid Forum to convert the declaration into an ongoing network [1] [6].
2. Scale and composition of signatories: thousands, plus parliamentarians
Vox and related reporting state the Charter gathered more than 8,000 signatories from over 20 countries, including more than 400 sitting parliamentarians by 2023; signers reportedly range from conservative to far‑right politicians as well as business figures and pundits [1] [3] [7]. Independent accounts and local press confirm both an initial group of about 51 personalities when first issued and larger waves of remote or public endorsements later—Vox amplified these totals via outreach campaigns in countries such as Peru and Mexico [5] [1] [3].
3. Notable politicians who have signed: a partial, widely reported list
Multiple sources identify high‑profile figures who have publicly endorsed the Charter, including Eduardo Bolsonaro (Brazil), Keiko Fujimori (Peru), José Antonio Kast (Chile), André Ventura (Portugal), and Javier Milei (Argentina), with additional endorsements reported among Mexican PAN senators and other regional actors [1] [3] [4]. Reporting also notes ongoing virtual signings—examples include smaller party leaders such as Dominican politician Carlos Peña—illustrating that the list changes over time and across countries [7].
4. How supporters describe it vs. how critics frame it
Supporters and organizers portray the Charter as a defensive, democratic pact against authoritarian leftist movements and insist its means are electoral and peaceful [2] [1]. Critics—ranging from leftist outlets like Jacobin and the World Socialist Web Site to watchdogs cited by Reactionary International—label the Charter and the Madrid Forum as an organizing hub for far‑right, exclusionary agendas and point to coordination with parties and figures they define as extremist [4] [3] [6]. Both positions appear in the record, and interpretations often track the political orientation of the source.
5. What is verifiable and what remains opaque
Reporting supplied here confirms the Charter’s date, origin, central claims, and that thousands of signatories and hundreds of legislators are reported as having signed [2] [1] [7]. Exact, up‑to‑date rosters or an independently verified master list of every politician who has signed are not fully available in the supplied sources, and national media coverage suggests the composition of signers is dynamic, with new public endorsements and virtual registrations continuing after 2020 [5] [7].
6. Political implications and hidden agendas to watch
Beyond rhetoric, the Madrid Charter functions as an organizing and branding tool: it amplifies transnational alliances between Vox and allied conservative or far‑right actors, creates leverage for fundraising and media narratives, and serves as a platform to coordinate strategies in national campaigns—an agenda emphasized by critics and corroborated by event activity and outreach described in multiple sources [6] [4] [3]. Observers should therefore treat signatory lists as political signals as well as literal endorsements.