February is the month of love — and at LOLA, we believe in the love of ideas and the freedom to share them.
Every month, LOLA spotlights our leaders who are writing and creating impact across the globe. This February, we’re celebrating voices from Latin America and Asia, covering the topics that matter most: economics, philosophy, and youth empowerment.
Explore this month’s media highlights and discover the impact our leaders are making. ⬇️
Featured Appearances
Don’t give me flowers, give me gold. (POR)
Clara de Albuquerque Duarte, LOLA Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Our LOLA leader from Rio de Janeiro, Clara de Albuquerque Duarte, makes a compelling case for gold as the ultimate tool for female financial independence. Her argument is rooted in economic history: unlike fiat currency, which depends on government trust and political stability, gold exists outside the system entirely — it can’t be frozen, sanctioned, or devalued by policy decisions. And the data backs her up. Gold surged roughly 65% in 2025, its best annual performance since 1979, with Brazil’s Central Bank cutting dollar reserves and increasing gold holdings by around 33%. For women, who often face invisible financial risks like income interruptions and dependency, Clara sees gold not as a speculative bet but as a last line of defense — the kind of asset that doesn’t perform every year, but is always there when you need it. Real financial independence, she argues, isn’t about gestures. It’s about building something that actually holds.
Stoicism and Liberalism: Some Notes on Freedom According to Epictetus (ESP)
Oriana Patricia Aranguren Batista, LOLA Caracas, Venezuela
Our Venezuelan leader Oriana writes about why the liberal and libertarian definitions of freedom fall short. While classical liberalism focuses on freedom from external coercion, she argues this misses a crucial dimension: inner freedom, as understood by the Stoic philosopher Epictetus. True freedom isn’t just about being able to move or trade freely — it’s about mastering your own desires and judgments. If you depend emotionally on wealth, power, or others’ approval, you’re still a slave. She closes with a pointed contrast: while collectivism blames external structures for human suffering, Stoicism offers something more radical — change the individual first. Authentic freedom doesn’t begin outside. It begins within.
Against Cocktail Liberalism: Freedom Without Linen Napkins (ESP)
Lourdes Romero, Regional Leader, LOLA Latin America
Our LOLA Latin America regional leader Lourdes Romero takes aim at what she calls “cocktail liberalism” — a comfortable, performative version of classical liberalism that has lost its edge. She describes a type of activist who quotes Hayek at hotel conferences, collects certificates from international symposiums, and posts bold memes online, but goes silent when it matters: when a street vendor is shaken down for bribes or a friend in power hands out privileges. Real liberalism, she argues, was never meant to be polite. It was built to challenge monopolies, arbitrary power, and state privilege — not coexist with them over open bars. True liberalism has mud on its boots. It speaks to the baker whose rent jumped 20%, the mechanic crushed by taxes, the small vendor harassed by inspectors. Her message to fellow liberals is blunt: fewer cocktails, more courage. Freedom isn’t protected with canapés — it’s defended in the trenches.
Full List Of Global Articles
Hareem Usman Lodhi, LOLA Haripur, Pakistan
Killed in the Name of “Honor” (POR)
Every contribution helps us empower women leaders, grow our chapters, and advance liberty worldwide.
🌍 Make a difference today!