What Kind of Democracy Are We Talking About, President Boric?

 Por Rodolfo Varela

As the "Democracy Always" High-Level Meeting unfolds with pomp and solemnity in Santiago, Chile—led by President Gabriel Boric and attended by leaders such as Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Brazil), Pedro Sánchez (Spain), Gustavo Petro (Colombia), and Yamandú Orsi (Uruguay)—a simple but urgent question arises:

President of the Republic of Chile, Gabriel Boric Font, holds a High-Level Meeting

What kind of democracy are we really talking about?

In his opening speech, President Boric spoke passionately about democracy as a collective project of justice, dignity, and freedom. He warned about authoritarianism, organized crime, inequality, and the threats facing our institutions. Powerful words. Noble intentions. But… what about reality?

Where is that democracy for the political exiles, the tortured, the wrongfully imprisoned, the children who were abducted or sold during Chile’s dictatorship? What dignity can exist for those survivors who today receive pensions that barely cover half the minimum wage—if that?

Chile still owes a historic debt—a debt of truth, justice, and real reparations. Beautiful speeches won’t erase the trauma of those who suffered. If this debt is not addressed head-on, this summit becomes little more than political theater.

And this isn’t just about Chile. We must also ask:

• Is Venezuela a democracy or a dictatorship? What do these presidents really believe when it comes to political prisoners, censorship, and repression in that country?

• Are the Brazilian people truly satisfied with President Lula's government? Is there not also discontent, broken promises, and deep social division?

• And these leaders who gather in the name of democracy—are their governments truly democratic? Do they welcome dissent? Do they listen to the people? Do they govern transparently?

President Gabriel Boric Font, head of the Official Photograph

Democracy is not measured by international conferences or eloquent declarations.
It is measured in the streets, in daily life. In decent wages. In access to justice. In the right to speak freely. In how we treat our most vulnerable.

Today, while democracy is being discussed by heads of state, thousands of victims remain ignored—silenced by bureaucracy, abandonment, and political indifference.

So we ask respectfully, but firmly:
Can there be true democracy without justice for its victims?
Can there be democracy in the face of impunity?
Can there be democracy without memory or reparation?

The honest answers to these questions are worth more than any summit. Because a democracy that does not repair, that does not listen, that does not act—is merely a façade.

Rodolfo Varela
Professional Broadcaster, Communicator, and Son of Exile