Washington hosts this week the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), a landmark event that has been held annually since 1973. The American Conservative Union (ACU) is the host of the event, which began last Wednesday 21 and will end this Saturday the 24th.
Founded in 1964, CPAC is the oldest conservative organization in the United States and its stated purpose is to preserve and protect the values of life, liberty, and the right to property. If European leaders of the stature of Giorgia Meloni or Viktor Orbán participated in previous editions, the 2024 edition will feature the intervention of the leaders of the Iberosphere Javier Milei and Nayib Bukele, who will speak alongside the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Liz Truss.
The conference, however, is more focused on national politics, and without a doubt the 2024 edition will be of special importance, since it is a year full of electoral events for American citizens. In fact, the heavyweight of the conference is the former president and Republican candidate Donald Trump, who will speak on Saturday at 12:00 (18:00 Spanish time).
On Thursday, the opening day, figures such as the legendary presenter Monica Crowley – who represented herself in the Netflix original series – will participate. House of Cards—, Ben Carson —former secretary of housing and presidential candidate in the 2016 Republican primaries—, pro-life activists Brandi Swindell and Penny Nance, or field reporter and former marine Julio Rosas. They are familiar faces who, for the most part, repeat from previous editions.
The highlight of Thursday is, without a doubt, the president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, whose policies to improve the country’s security have brought him to the attention of half the world. Although several international organizations warn of violations of the human rights of prisoners held in the largest prison on the continent, the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), 90% of the Salvadoran population acknowledges supporting the actions of the president, who was recently elected for a second term with an overwhelming majority.
Tulsi Gabbard, military man and member of the Democratic Party until 2022, will also speak on Thursday. Critical of the management of Barack Obama’s Administration, the changes in her ideology led the first Samoan American and Hindu congresswoman to confront her own party and, finally, leave its ranks. In recent years, in fact, her positions regarding security, abortion, borders and ideological agenda have taken a turn: in 2022, for example, she decisively supported the Florida law on parental rights in education, roundly condemned by the Democratic Party. In 2020, Gabbard ran for the Democratic presidential nomination, although she ultimately dropped out of the race.
The first day will end with the film screening Goatsthe latest production of Angel Studiosdirected by Alejandro Monteverde and which will have its world premiere on March 8, International Women’s Day. Goats narrates the epic story of the Italian nun Francisca Javiera Cabrini, first American saint, who left Italy to found social assistance centers in the United States at the end of the 19th century. The film will show the extraordinary fight of this woman, of weak condition, for the most disadvantaged, while she herself faced discrimination and repudiation. Francisca, born in 1850, was beatified in 1938 by Pius XI and canonized just eight years later by Pius XII, who in 1950 proclaimed her patron saint of immigrants.
During Friday’s general session, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem will participate; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost; former Pentagon Chief of Staff Kash Patel; CPAC organizers in Japan, Jay Aeba; and in Australia, Andrew Cooper; former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi; the promising congressman from Florida Matt Gaetz or Jim Jordan, congressman and candidate for president of the House of Representatives of Congress after the dismissal of Kevin McCarthy. Megyn Kelly, a renowned journalist and host who had several run-ins with Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign, will also speak on Friday — along with Mercedes Schlapp, a CPAC board member and wife of ACU president and event organizer Matt Schlapp.
A Santiago Abascal, who will speak on Friday at 2:30 p.m. (8:30 p.m. Spanish time), will be followed by Nigel Farage, founder of UKIP and the Brexit Party. The influential communicator and presenter Jack Posobiecwho in November echoed the citizen protests in front of the PSOE headquarters on Ferraz Street, will also address the attendees on Friday, as well as the academic Miklós Szánthó, director of the Center for Fundamental Rights of Hungary, an ally of Orbán and organizer of the CPAC in the Central European country; New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, the main conservative caucus in Congress; or the attorney general of Texas Ken Paxtonconsidered—along with Governor Greg Abbott—one of the biggest torments of the Biden Administration.
Friday will close with the traditional Ronald Reagan dinner, in which the businessman will participate as speakers. Vivek Ramaswamycandidate for the Republican primaries until a few months ago, and Joseph Stricklandbishop of Tyler, Texas, between 2012 and 2023.
During the last day, in addition to former President Trump, the President of Argentina will speak, Javier Miley —at 3:30 p.m. (9:30 p.m. Spanish time)—; former senator and 2012 and 2016 Republican primary candidate Rick Santorum; Senate candidate and former Arizona Governor candidate Kari Lake; the federal deputy of Brazil Eduardo Bolsonaro —son of the former president—; the prestigious analyst Steve Bannon; businessman and former drug addict Mike Lindell, founder of MyPillow; the very young representatives Caleb Hanna or Bill Essayli; or the filmmaker Eduardo Verastegui and ex-marine Tim Ballard, protagonists of the story after Sound of Freedom (2023), a film also directed by Alejandro Monteverde.
Although their interventions have not been confirmed, Charlie Kirk, political commentator and founder of Turning Point USA, an association of young people who bring conservative values to university campuses in debates and talks; or the controversial Michael KnowlesCatholic convert and well-known presenter of The Daily Wire.
From the problem of immigration to the degradation of democratic values; From the importance of free science to the vindication of diplomacy or from the fight against human trafficking to the danger of globalism for national sovereignty, journalists, politicians, representatives, managers, doctors, lawyers, presenters and academics will meet for three days to set the political agenda for next year in a scenario dominated by the giant Trump. People from very different origins and varied ideas who, however, agree on the most essential things and will defend the same values and principles side by side in an event that will make headlines.