On March 8th, the people of the world dealt Trump three resounding defeats on a battlefield he doesn’t believe in: the battlefield of democracy. In Iran, Colombia, and Venezuela, on International Women’s Day, in different situations and in different ways, anti-democracy and fascism suffered crushing defeats that express the global rejection of Washington’s absolutist and imperialist practices.
Iran: Smooth election of new leader
The election of Iran’s new leader was framed within the constitutional precepts of Persian democracy (which, incidentally, is older than Western democracy). These precepts stipulate that an Assembly of Elders, composed of 88 members known as ayatollahs who are experts in Islamic knowledge, is responsible for electing the Leader. In turn, the members of the Assembly of Elders are elected for an eight-year term by direct popular vote. Their duties include overseeing the work of the Supreme Leader, removing him if he is incapacitated, and appointing a successor in the event of his death.
In this case, following the martyrdom of Ali Hosseini Khamenei on February 28, against the opinion and threats of the President of the United States, who stated that he would choose the new leader of the country, the National Constitution was implemented and the Assembly of Elders—even amidst the devastating war imposed by the imperial power under Zionist domination—fulfilled its responsibility and appointed Mukhta Khamenei as the new leader of the country, thus continuing the Islamic revolution established after the overthrow of the repressive Pahlavi monarchy on February 11, 1979. In this way, the exercise of power and command of the troops within the framework of the war has been fully restored based on the constitutional precepts that prevail in the country.
Colombia: Electoral victory for Petro’s coalition
Meanwhile, in Colombia, despite all the irregularities and external and internal pressures, the most peaceful elections in the country’s history were held on March 8th. In an atmosphere of full participation that was repeatedly threatened with violence, President Gustavo Petro’s government ensured the elections proceeded smoothly.
Despite the United States and the local oligarchy’s attempts to interfere in the electoral process through various means, the Colombian people maintained their confidence in their ability to move the country forward without accepting pressure or tutelage. The shadow cast over Latin American democracy by the US president’s claim—which he indeed was—that he had appointed the presidents of Honduras, Ecuador, and Chile loomed large over these elections. The now-dubbed “Honduras model,” characterized by Washington’s designation of the winning candidate, accompanied by the expenditure of vast sums of money to buy votes, the financing of media outlets to create favorable narratives for that candidate, and threats ranging from military invasion to economic sanctions and the cutting off of remittances should the White House’s candidate not win, is shaping the new pattern of so-called “democracy” in those countries that allow it. In the case of Honduras, Trump even allowed himself to make an alliance with drug trafficking by releasing the convicted and confessed former president Juan Orlando Hernández in exchange for the organized criminal force in the political party that brought him to power, supporting Trump’s candidate.
Bucking the trend also seen in Ecuador, Costa Rica, Chile, and Argentina through different methods, the Colombian people went to the polls and transformed the popular and democratic coalition “Historical Pact” into the country’s leading electoral force. Although the regrettable presence of sectarian, exclusionary, and dogmatic groups within the coalition and among potential allies conspired to prevent a more resounding victory, the coalition has so far won 25 senators and around 40 representatives, significantly surpassing its previous figures of 20 and 30, respectively. This number may even increase as electoral authorities address several ongoing challenges and the vote count is completed in districts where the margins between candidates are very narrow.
In any case, the mere fact that Colombians went to vote without being threatened by the traditional violence into which the oligarchy (in all its manifestations: terrorism, paramilitarism, organized crime and drug trafficking) has plunged the country, is already a gain that should be attributed to the government of President Petro.
It’s important to note that Colombian leader Álvaro Uribe Vélez failed in his attempt to secure a seat in the new Congress. Ruminating on his defeat, the paramilitary leader and drug trafficker will be unable—at least for the next four years—to continue plotting his misdeeds and abuses from within Congress.
Venezuela: Deepening direct democracy
Finally, in Venezuela, continuing the development of its participatory democracy, approximately 4.2 million citizens participated in the first national referendum of 2026 to choose from more than 36,000 productive projects for the development of their communities and sectors. This figure represents a 10% increase compared to the previous referendum held on November 23. It is worth noting that in some states, voter turnout exceeded 35% of the registered voters, thus consolidating the exercise of direct democracy throughout the country.
In an event that was prepared in advance in assemblies where citizens determined their most immediate needs to address them efficiently outside of government and state bureaucracy, these elections were an expression of the democratic will of the people, which in the case of Venezuela is legally enshrined in the Constitution thanks to the impetus given to it by Presidents Chávez and Maduro.
Given the evident decline in popular participation worldwide through elections under the representative democracy model, the Venezuelan people, using the instruments of participatory and protagonistic democracy granted to them by the Constitution, have succeeded in having the National Executive increase by 37% the resources allocated to be directly executed by organized People’s Power during 2026. To this end, a mechanism has been designed whereby “53% will be allocated to People’s Power, 29% to state governments, 15% to municipalities, and 3% to institutional strengthening,” as reported by Acting President Delcy Rodríguez.
Taking advantage of these possibilities granted by representative democracy, even though it is limited and constrained by foreign intervention, the people, through participatory democracy, have progressed to having 170 community banks and a total of 1,836 community financial institutions today.
In this regard, the government reported that efficiency and accountability levels have also been raised. By leading this process with 96% effectiveness, the People’s Power pressured the institutions of representative democracy and the bureaucracy to do the same, demonstrating that the organized people have the tools to manage public resources transparently in the immediate future and to be a staunch defender of the National Constitution and the sovereignty it embodies, should they be called upon.
In this context, Aura Buitrago, spokesperson for the Urquía Commune, stated in an interview that “the process represented a tribute to women fighters and their key role in territorial management, rejecting any attempt at external intervention.” The community spokesperson added that “the consultation is not just about receiving resources, but about raising civic awareness so that communities actively participate in solving their problems.”
Beyond the projects approved for the benefit of the people, this event serves to deepen the direct democracy necessary to advance toward a superior popular organization that will be tested in the future when decisive battles must be fought in defense of the country’s sovereignty, currently threatened by Trump and the Nazi-fascist government he leads. Only an organized and conscious people will be capable of facing these kinds of challenges.
At the end of the day, the “Epstein alliance” and the pedophile and child-murdering government had suffered three firm and consistent defeats.
