Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is working to project an image of stability in relations with Spain, claiming there is no diplomatic crisis despite years of frosty interactions stemming from historical grievances.
Speaking at a summit of left-leaning leaders in Barcelona, Sheinbaum insisted that tensions over the 16th-century Spanish conquest of Mexico never truly existed, framing the focus instead on the strength of indigenous peoples.
The diplomatic relationship hit a low point in 2019 when former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador demanded an apology for colonial-era actions, a demand that went unanswered. The tension escalated further when Sheinbaum excluded King Felipe VI from her 2024 inauguration, prompting Spain to refuse to send any official representation.
While Sheinbaum now claims the relationship is on the mend—citing a recent invitation to the King for the upcoming FIFA World Cup—the history of the dispute remains a point of contention.
Meanwhile, the Barcelona summit, which focused on countering what organizers called 'illiberalism,' stood in stark contrast to a massive rally held by right-wing leaders in Italy.
At that event, figures like Matteo Salvini and Jordan Bardella rallied against the bureaucratic overreach of the European Union and the ongoing immigration crisis, highlighting the deepening ideological divide currently fracturing the international political landscape.
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