Madrid Hosts 30th Ibero-American Summit, but Only 10 Countries Send Their Leaders
The 30th Ibero-American Summit, a gathering of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking nations, opened in Madrid. Of the 22 member states, only 10 are represented by a head of state or government.
The 30th Ibero-American Summit, the leaders' meeting of the 22-member community of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking nations, opened in Madrid on Wednesday evening. The event is intended to strengthen cooperation between Europe and Latin America. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia inaugurated the summit at the Teatro Real, while Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez welcomed the arriving delegations.
Despite the ceremonial reception, only 10 of the member countries sent their head of state or government. Seven Latin American presidents are attending, among them Argentina's Javier Milei, Chile's José Antonio Kast and Guatemala's Bernardo Arévalo.
Absences and guests
Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum and Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodríguez did not come. Their absence highlights political divisions, and it comes ahead of Spain's general election on 29 November.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres and European Council President António Costa are also taking part. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky travelled to Madrid for separate talks.
Next day
Thursday's programme features the plenary session and the official photograph at the Royal Collections Gallery. Meanwhile, Spain is mourning the 69 victims of last week's train disaster.
