From March 24 to 26, we participated in an Ibero-American meeting in Mexico City that brought together organizations from more than ten countries to discuss the great challenges we face as a region.
At Movimiento Cívico Nacional, we believe that defending the Republic is a task that knows no borders. That is why, when we were invited to participate in the III Ibero-American Think Tank Meeting, organized by CEU CEFAS and Patria Unida por un México Valiente, in collaboration with the Center for Fundamental Rights and the FREE Foundation, we did not hesitate to be present. Three days of debate, analysis, and teamwork with citizens and organizations committed to freedom, the Rule of Law, and the identity of our peoples.
A high-level setting: the Senate of the Republic
The meeting began in the Senate of the Republic of Mexico, with welcoming remarks from legislators and the leaders of the host organizations. The inaugural address immediately hit a nerve: "Mexico today: the capture of the State and institutional collapse," given by the president of the Congress of Aguascalientes, Humberto Montero. A warning that resonated strongly for those of us who, from Guatemala and all of Ibero-America, observe similar processes of institutional erosion.
The main themes of the meeting
Over the following days, the program brought together panelists from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Spain, the United States, Hungary, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela, who shared analyses on the problems that most concern us as a region:
A dialogue about our real history, with historians, diplomats, and academics from Spain and Mexico. A reminder that knowing our roots is the first step to defending them.
Voices from Bolivia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Spain, Venezuela, and The Heritage Foundation analyzed the institutional setbacks that threaten the Republic in our region. A topic that is particularly relevant to MCN.
Experts from Argentina, Spain, Italy, Mexico, and Uruguay discussed the economic conditions necessary to build solid proposals for the future.
A panel that addressed one of the most urgent challenges of the moment, with participation from experts from Bolivia, Chile, the United States, Hungary, and Venezuela, and a critical look at the challenges we face as a region.
MCN in the working groups
One of the most valuable aspects of the meeting was the working groups: spaces where participating organizations ceased to be an audience and became protagonists.
MCN was active in the New Leadership Training and New Narratives and Communication groups: two areas that are at the heart of what we do every day. We believe that changing Guatemala, and the region, involves training citizens who lead with principles and building messages that reach more people with greater force.
A closing with perspective
On Thursday, March 26, Monsignor Ramón Castro Castro, president of the Mexican Episcopal Conference, offered a conference titled "Peace is not decreed: faith, truth, and commitment of Catholics in public life," a call not to give in to relativism and to maintain a commitment to truth as the foundation of civic life.
The meeting closed with the presentation of conclusions from each working group and closing remarks by Fernando Nistal, executive director of CEU CEFAS, and the recognition that these types of spaces are necessary, urgent, and must continue to grow.
Ibero-America faces common challenges: state capture, institutional erosion, narratives that distort our identity, and security that debates between freedom and control. At MCN, we left Mexico City with greater clarity, more allies, and more conviction: the defense of the Republic is a cause that knows no borders.