We firmly believe in freedom as an essential pillar of democracy. The cancel culture is a symptom of the dangerous totalitarian drift that erodes democracy at its very foundation.
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The Senate of Spain will host a Transatlantic Summit “For freedom and a culture of life” in which political representatives from more than 20 countries have already confirmed attendance. Over the course of a decade, Political Network for Values has held summits and regional events at the at the United Nations Headquarters in NY (in 2023 and 2014), the Academy of Sciences in Budapest (2022), the Congress of the Republic of Colombia (2019), the European Parliament in Brussels (2017), the United States Capitol (2015); and the Spanish Congress (2018). None of these institutions censored or cancelled the event. At the UN, the Summit was broadcast live on its official channel and the New York Declaration was included in the official records of the General Assembly 78th session.
The request for the assignment of a room in the Senate was made in strict compliance with the institution’s regulations and it was unanimously approved by the Senate Board, three of whose members belong to the Socialist Group (PSOE).
The news published yesterday in the Spanish journal El País show ideological biases questioning that the VI Transatlantic Summit, which will be celebrated in Madrid on December 1 and 2, be held in the Senate. The text criticizes the fact that the Spanish Upper House has opened the doors to this network of political representatives who defend the culture of life and consider abortion to be a social setback, labelling our members and allies as extremists who put democracy at risk and citing organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Center or the European Parliamentary Forum on Sexual and Reproductive Rights, characterized by the elaboration of “black lists” to stigmatize those who think differently. The article is a clear example of “cancel journalism”.
The Socialist Party immediately reacted to the news; it declared that its representatives on the Senate, who months before had unanimously granted the room, did not know what they had approved and now demand that the Summit be prohibited. The deputy spokesman for the Socialist Group in the Senate, Alfonso Gil, argued that the events held in this chamber should be “inclusive, respectful of the whole of society because the Senate should be the home of everyone”, in order to exclude women and men from three continents, democratically elected, who peacefully and respectfully defend positions different from his.
Those of us who are part of the Political Network for Values believe in the infinite value of human dignity and, therefore, we defend the life of every person, in every stage; we believe in the family as the fundamental and natural unit of society; we defend the right of women to be valued and respected, also in their motherhood; we firmly believe in freedom and that is why we defend the right to express oneself, to participate in public life, to debate and to disagree. These ideas are from being considered “extremist”, since we embrace the principles contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Preamble and articles 3, 16, 18, 19, 20, 26), which we consider inalienable. In a democracy, it is not possible to prevent these values from being freely proposed by elected representatives in a forum such as the Senate.
When we chose the theme for the VI Transatlantic Summit, we were concerned that in some places they are not only trying to cancel the right to life, but also the right to defend it. The news cited here, its coordinated response in various ideologically related media, and the hasty reaction of the PSOE, confirm this concern and, therefore, the fact that this Summit is more necessary than ever.
The attempt to prohibit its celebration is a clear example of canceling those who have a divergent position and express it in a peaceful and respectful way, which is openly contrary to the foundations of the rule of law. It is an act of crude intolerance that should not take place in democratic societies.
Precisely because it is a democratic forum, the Upper House gives up its space for events where different views on the most varied topics are expressed; the institution does not need to agree with what is presented in them. The Senate is everyone’s home and that is why it cannot be held hostage to ideological pressures.
We trust in the strength of our institutions and that they will stand for the defense of freedom and the rule of law.
We call on political and civic leaders who consider the cancel culture a threat to the foundations of democracy to join the VI Transatlantic Summit on December 1 and 2, and to defend freedom and the culture of life in the Senate of Spain.
Madrid, October 2, 2024.
