'Hitler' appears if democracy declines: Brazil's Lula

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva warned on Friday that allowing "setbacks" to democracy would bring authoritarian regimes like Hitler's, ahead of a gathering of world left-wing leaders in Spain.

Lula and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez are due to headline Saturday's meeting in Barcelona in a bid to lead an alliance of progressive forces against a rising right and far right.

"What we want is to talk and see if we can find a solution to strengthen the democratic process in the world, so that we don't allow any setbacks," Lula told a joint news conference with Sanchez in Barcelona.

"Because when there is a setback, a Hitler happens."

Conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and Iran as well as trade turmoil caused by US President Donald Trump's tariffs have contributed to an erosion of the UN-led system of cooperation between countries that has prevailed since World War II.

Sanchez said that multilateral order "must be improved" and "renewed", which would be the focus of Saturday's talks.

Although that system had brought human rights and respect for territorial integrity, its values "are being attacked by that reactionary wave, by authoritarians, by disinformation, evils that threaten the strength of our democratic institutions", Sanchez said.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum, Gustavo Petro of Colombia, European Council chief Antonio Costa and Irish President Catherine Connolly are among the leaders expected at the "In Defence of Democracy" meeting.

Lula, Sanchez and Ramaphosa are also due to address the closure of a separate two-day gathering of progressive politicians, social actors and thinkers in Barcelona.

Lula took part in a Spain-Brazil summit on Friday that saw agreements signed on the fight against crime, discrimination and gender violence as well as on economic cooperation and AI.