BARCELONA, Spain (AP) 鈥� With a few choice words and a handshake, Mexican President laid to rest a diplomatic spat between her government and Spain over the Spanish colonial past during her visit to Barcelona on Saturday.
鈥淭here is no diplomatic crisis, there never was one,鈥� she said upon arrival at the , a gathering of representatives of 15 countries concerned with the rise of illiberalism.
鈥淭he important thing is to recognize the efforts of the indigenous people of our land,鈥� she said, moments before shaking hands with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro S谩nchez.
Sheinbaum鈥檚 participation came after Spain鈥檚 King Felipe VI when in March he publicly acknowledged the conquest of the Americas had led to the 鈥渁buse鈥� of native peoples.
The international tussle started in 2019, when Sheinbaum鈥檚 predecessor, , demanded that Spain 鈥減ublicly and officially鈥� recognize the abuses committed during the conquest of Mexico in a letter sent to the Spanish king and Pope Francis.
Spain refused to do so, which soured between the two governments.
Relations hit a low point in 2024 when Sheinbaum did not invite Felipe to her inauguration over the palace鈥檚 refusal to issue a formal apology, a move that S谩nchez called 鈥渦nacceptable.鈥� Spain subsequently refused to send a representative to Sheinbaum鈥檚 inauguration in a breach of tradition.
The unprecedented step toward reconciliation by Felipe was followed by the Mexican government inviting the Spanish monarch to attend a World Cup match this summer.
Sheinbaum and S谩nchez later met privately for nearly an hour, according to S谩nchez’s office.
鈥淚 spoke with president Sheinbaum about global affairs and the importance of advancing the relations between Mexico and the European Union,鈥� S谩nchez wrote on X. 鈥淲e are in agreement in continuing to strengthen our special cultural, economic and social ties.鈥�
S谩nchez did not publicly mention the now-resolved diplomatic issue at Saturday’s events, while thanking Sheinbaum for offering to host the next edition of the pro-democracy summit next year.
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