Geopolitics and Responsibility: Reflections on La Era de la Revancha
The presentation of La Era de la Revancha, organized by AImpacto at Librería Ocho y Medio in Madrid, was deliberately framed not as a conventional book launch but as an academic and critical-thinking forum. Rather than focusing on literary promotion, the session examined the structural transformations shaping the current geopolitical order. Drawing on Andrea Rizzi’s analysis, the discussion addressed the erosion of liberal-democratic reference points, the resurgence of nationalist revisionism, and the reconfiguration of global power balances. The conversation engaged directly with themes such as the weakening of multilateral institutions, the tension between strategic autonomy and dependency in Europe, the rise of populist movements fueled by economic and cultural dislocation, and the accelerating rivalry between major powers — particularly the systemic competition between the United States and China.
Far from alarmist rhetoric, the exchange remained analytical and evidence-based, interrogating how resentment, perceived loss of status, and structural inequality interact with technological disruption and geopolitical fragmentation. The book’s argument that democracy and human rights are increasingly framed as obstacles rather than universal reference values was debated in the context of contemporary European policy challenges, including energy transitions, defense autonomy, and digital governance. Particular attention was given to the idea that we are witnessing not isolated crises but a “moment of conflagration” in which authoritarian impulses and populist narratives reinforce one another.
For AImpacto, convening this discussion was aligned with a foundational principle: responsible innovation and civic engagement require geopolitical literacy. Civil society organizations cannot operate in abstraction from structural power shifts that influence investment flows, regulatory regimes, technological standards, and democratic resilience. The evening underscored a central conviction — that impact work demands intellectual rigor. Engagement is not performative; it is a responsibility. Understanding must precede action.