La extrema derecha avanza hacia la realización de su antiguo sueño de una ‘internacional nacionalista’

Es poco frecuente observar a Santiago Abascal, el líder del partido político español de extrema derecha Vox, en un estado de ánimo tan optimista, casi eufórico. “Las estrellas se han alineado [...] Estamos viviendo tiempos afortunados”, proclamó desde el atril. Y se aventuró a decir: “Aunque aún no hemos logrado convertirnos en el [partido más grande de España], no estamos tan lejos.”

Strictly speaking, Vox was more than five million votes behind the conservative Popular Party during the 2023 Spanish elections. And it’s still more than 20 points behind the traditional right in the latest polls. Yet the gap between prediction and reality didn’t seem to matter to anyone in attendance. Abascal wasn’t speaking at a forum for analysis, but rather at a gathering intended for camaraderie, triumphalism, and networking. On December 4, at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Buenos Aires, no one was proven wrong: everyone applauded and was applauded. No one questioned anything.

One after another, illustrious names took the floor. There was Lara Trump, Donald’s daughter-in-law, as well as Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of the former Brazilian president. Eduardo Verástegui made an appearance: he’s a celebrity within the Mexican far-right, an actor and rapper who dedicates songs to Trump. And there was Ben Shapiro, an extremist commentator with millions of followers on social media and YouTube.