GZERO World Clips
Can there be capitalism without freedom? No, says Iván Duque

Can There Be Capitalism Without Freedom? | Former Colombia President Iván Duque | GZERO World

Should the US still try to engage with countries run by regimes antithetical to its own?
For former Colombian President Iván Duque, the democratic consensus in the Western Hemisphere means that "there's no space for autocracies or for dictatorships." That means not imposing democracy on everyone but defending democratic values everywhere, he tells Ian Bremmer in a GZERO World interview.
Meanwhile, capitalism is coming under pressure — including from authoritarian regimes like China, which is selling its own brand of state-led capitalism as opposed to the free-market capitalism prevalent in democracies.
Duque pushes back against the notion that there can truly be capitalism where people can't choose their leaders. His preferred solution is "conscious capitalism," which creates value but also seeks to close social gaps.
In this “ask ian,” Ian Bremmer argues that the debate over whether the United States or China will lead artificial intelligence is overshadowing a more important question: who will govern a technology advancing faster than governments can regulate?
Earlier this month, the Trump administration had suggested it might mark America’s 250th birthday by granting clemency to hundreds of people. Instead, it issued 11 pardons in early July, including to people convicted of environmental crimes and a political donor, while denying clemency to thousands of other applicants.
Microsoft released its 2026 Environmental Sustainability Report, outlining how the company is advancing its environmental commitments while expanding the infrastructure needed to support AI growth. The report highlights progress across energy, water, waste, and ecosystem goals, including matching 100% of annual global electricity consumption with renewable energy and achieving net positive water replenishment. Read the full report here.