Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed a diplomatic disagreement with Spain regarding its colonial history during her visit to Barcelona on Saturday. At the IV Meeting in Defence of Democracy, which brought together representatives from 15 countries concerned with the rise of illiberalism, President Sheinbaum stated, “There is no diplomatic crisis; there never was one.” She emphasised the importance of recognising the contributions of indigenous peoples in Mexico before shaking hands with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
President Sheinbaum’s visit follows a significant gesture from King Felipe VI of Spain, who publicly acknowledged in March that the conquest of the Americas resulted in the “abuse” of native peoples, marking a step toward resolving a longstanding diplomatic dispute. This tension began in 2019, when President Sheinbaum’s predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, called on Spain to “publicly and officially” recognise the abuses committed during the conquest of Mexico, in correspondence addressed to the Spanish king and Pope Francis. Spain’s refusal to comply with this request strained relations between the two nations.
Relations reached a particularly low point in 2024 when President Sheinbaum chose not to invite King Felipe to her inauguration, a decision influenced by the Spanish palace’s refusal to issue a formal apology, which Prime Minister Sánchez deemed “unacceptable.” As a consequence, Spain did not send a representative to the inauguration, deviating from established diplomatic norms.
The path to reconciliation was reinforced by King Felipe’s acknowledgement, after which the Mexican government invited the Spanish monarch to attend a World Cup match this summer. In addition, President Sheinbaum and Prime Minister Sánchez held a private meeting lasting nearly an hour, during which they discussed global affairs and the critical importance of advancing relations between Mexico and the European Union.
Prime Minister Sánchez later expressed on social media, “We are in agreement on the necessity of strengthening our special cultural, economic, and social ties.” Notably, he refrained from publicly addressing the earlier diplomatic tensions during Saturday’s events, instead thanking President Sheinbaum for her willingness to host the next edition of the pro-democracy summit next year.
This article used information from The Associated Press.
