Sheinbaum Dismisses 'Diplomatic Crisis' Amidst Spain-Mexico Tensions Over Colonial Past
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has dismissed claims of an ongoing diplomatic crisis with Spain, asserting that "There is no diplomatic crisis. There never has been." Speaking at a summit of left-leaning leaders in Barcelona, Sheinbaum emphasised the importance of recognising the strength of Mexico's indigenous peoples, a point central to the recent friction between the two nations.
Relations have been notably strained since 2019, when Sheinbaum's predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, demanded an apology from Spain for human rights abuses committed during its conquest of the Aztec empire. This historical grievance escalated with López Obrador's unusual decision not to invite King Felipe VI to his 2024 inauguration, leading to Spain's reciprocal refusal to send a representative.
However, recent gestures suggest a potential thaw. In March, King Felipe VI acknowledged "a lot of abuse" during the conquest, marking the first public admission of such by a Spanish monarch. This was followed by Sheinbaum inviting the King to the upcoming Fifa World Cup, described by the Spanish royal palace as "a timely opportunity to evoke the depth and unique character of the ties between Mexico and Spain."
Spain's Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, also garnered praise from Sheinbaum last October for acknowledging "pain and injustice" in the shared history. Despite these overtures, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez offered no comment on the state of relations following his meeting with Sheinbaum.
The Barcelona summit, focusing on countering illiberalism, coincided with a separate gathering of far-right leaders in Milan, where figures like Jordan Bardella and Matteo Salvini rallied against immigration and EU bureaucracy. Meanwhile, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva used the Barcelona platform to criticise the United Nations Security Council, labelling its permanent members as "lords of war" for their perceived imposition of rules on other sovereign nations.
