Almost 700 million dollars to strengthen democracy

The United States will invest up to 690 million dollars in the program to strengthen democracy in the world, the White House revealed.

Funds will be added to those already subscribed by the US under Presidential initiative for democratic restorationadopted in 2021, and will be announced by US President Joe Biden on the occasion of the second summit of democracies, government officials explained in a conversation with journalists.

The summit, which the North American country organized together with Costa Rica, Netherlands, Zambia and South Koreait will consist of two days of virtual and in-person events that will take place in the capitals of these five states.

The US president will begin a virtual meeting with his Costa Rican, Dutch, Zambian and South Korean counterparts, after which each country will host a “plenary session” during the day.

Biden will attend Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

will also happen “interventions by pro-democracy and human rights activists”officials explained, including Nicaraguan student leader Lesther Alemán, who was one of 222 political prisoners freed and stripped of their citizenship by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega in February.

Then, all Thursday, each country will host a series of personal events which will focus on a specific topic and in which representatives of regional governments and non-governmental actors will participate.

The US event will focus on using technology to protect democracyafter Biden signed an executive order this Monday banning federal agencies from using “spyware” – spying computer programs – that are commercial in nature and pose a risk to national security.

Officials explained that Washington will focus much of its agenda at the summit on promoting its own a vision of technological development that serves to “promote, not oppose, democracy”.

In this regard, the state will announce the “next steps” it will take against the abuse of technology and the rise of digital authoritarianismincluding an agreement with “about 10 foreign allies that have committed to taking actions like those in our executive order.”

It will also publish a list of principles for the use of surveillance technologies by “rights-respecting governments”officials added.