Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said there was 'no diplomatic crisis' with Spain after years of frosty relations over the conquest of the Central American nation. 'There is no diplomatic crisis. There never has been. What is very important is that we recognise the strength of our country's indigenous peoples,' she said as she arrived at a summit of left-leaning leaders in Barcelona on Saturday.
Spain's colonisation of Mexico has become a thorny issue in recent years, prompting calls for an apology and an apparent diplomatic snub. The summit, which seeks to address a rise in illiberalism, comes as far-right leaders met in Italy for a rally against immigration and EU bureaucracy.
Sheinbaum's comments came moments before she met the Barcelona summit's co-chair, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who did not comment on the state of his nation's relations with Mexico. However, Spain's economy minister was quoted by news agency Reuters as saying that Sheinbaum's presence was 'a very important and positive sign of a rapprochement between the two countries'. Her visit is the first by a Mexican president in eight years.
Relations between Spain and Mexico deteriorated in 2019 when Sheinbaum's predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, demanded that Spain apologise for human rights violations during its conquest. Spanish conquistadors killed thousands through fighting and disease as they dismantled the Aztec empire in the 16th Century.
When López Obrador's request went unanswered, Sheinbaum took the unusual decision not to invite Spain's King Felipe VI to her inauguration in 2024. Spain then refused to send any Spanish representative. Recently, there were signs that relations had begun to thaw, though. King Felipe said in March that there had been 'a lot of abuse' during the conquest of the territory that would become Mexico, marking the first time a Spanish monarch acknowledged abuses during the colonial era.
Sheinbaum invited King Felipe to the upcoming Fifa World Cup, indicating the event could evoke the depth of ties between Mexico and Spain. Spain's Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares praised her for acknowledging 'pain and injustice' in their shared history. Meanwhile, Sheinbaum's engagement at the summit indicates avenues for improving Mexico-Spain relations, despite the complex history.
Spain's colonisation of Mexico has become a thorny issue in recent years, prompting calls for an apology and an apparent diplomatic snub. The summit, which seeks to address a rise in illiberalism, comes as far-right leaders met in Italy for a rally against immigration and EU bureaucracy.
Sheinbaum's comments came moments before she met the Barcelona summit's co-chair, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who did not comment on the state of his nation's relations with Mexico. However, Spain's economy minister was quoted by news agency Reuters as saying that Sheinbaum's presence was 'a very important and positive sign of a rapprochement between the two countries'. Her visit is the first by a Mexican president in eight years.
Relations between Spain and Mexico deteriorated in 2019 when Sheinbaum's predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, demanded that Spain apologise for human rights violations during its conquest. Spanish conquistadors killed thousands through fighting and disease as they dismantled the Aztec empire in the 16th Century.
When López Obrador's request went unanswered, Sheinbaum took the unusual decision not to invite Spain's King Felipe VI to her inauguration in 2024. Spain then refused to send any Spanish representative. Recently, there were signs that relations had begun to thaw, though. King Felipe said in March that there had been 'a lot of abuse' during the conquest of the territory that would become Mexico, marking the first time a Spanish monarch acknowledged abuses during the colonial era.
Sheinbaum invited King Felipe to the upcoming Fifa World Cup, indicating the event could evoke the depth of ties between Mexico and Spain. Spain's Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares praised her for acknowledging 'pain and injustice' in their shared history. Meanwhile, Sheinbaum's engagement at the summit indicates avenues for improving Mexico-Spain relations, despite the complex history.
