BARCELONA, Spain — A diplomatic rift spanning five years between Mexico and Spain came to an end Saturday when Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in Barcelona, settling their disagreement over Spain’s treatment of indigenous peoples during colonial times.
Speaking at the IV Meeting in Defense of Democracy, where delegates from 15 nations gathered to address growing threats to democratic values, Sheinbaum dismissed any notion of ongoing tensions. “There is no diplomatic crisis, there never was one,” the Mexican leader declared upon her arrival.
Before greeting Sánchez with a handshake, she emphasized the significance of honoring indigenous contributions, stating, “The important thing is to recognize the efforts of the indigenous people of our land.”
The resolution became possible after King Felipe VI of Spain took an unprecedented step in March by publicly recognizing that Spain’s conquest of the Americas resulted in the “abuse” of native populations.
The diplomatic friction began in 2019 when former Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador sent correspondence to both the Spanish monarch and Pope Francis, calling on Spain to “publicly and officially” acknowledge wrongdoings during Mexico’s conquest.
When Spain declined to provide such recognition, relationships between the nations deteriorated significantly.
The situation reached its lowest point in 2024 when Sheinbaum excluded Felipe from her presidential inauguration ceremony due to the Spanish palace’s unwillingness to offer a formal apology. Sánchez denounced this decision as “unacceptable,” leading Spain to break with protocol by sending no official representative to the inauguration.
Following the king’s historic acknowledgment, Mexico extended an invitation to the Spanish monarch to attend a World Cup soccer match scheduled for this summer, signaling the beginning of diplomatic repair.
During Saturday’s gathering, Sánchez avoided referencing the now-resolved conflict while expressing gratitude to Sheinbaum for Mexico’s offer to host next year’s democracy summit.
