Mexico confirms Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco will attend the Ibero-American Summit, Digi Mart USA News (Mexico City): The Mexican government confirmed on Tuesday that Secretary of Foreign Affairs Roberto Velasco will head the country’s delegation at the XXX Ibero-American Summit, which will be held Wednesday and Thursday in Madrid, representing President Claudia Sheinbaum. The Spanish government had previously announced Sheinbaum’s absence.
Sheinbaum’s absence joins those of the leaders of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, who will also not attend the meeting. According to information reported by EFE from Madrid, ten heads of state or government of the 22 member countries will attend, including those of Spain, Argentina, Chile, Honduras and Portugal.
Despite the absences, the Spanish executive highlighted that all countries will be represented and recalled that at the previous summit, held in Cuenca, Ecuador, in 2024, only three heads of state took part.
Mexico’s Foreign Ministry said its delegation will seek to advance cooperation on environment and climate change, human mobility, disaster risk reduction, education, gender equality, science and technology. Mexico recognized the summit as a forum for promoting dialogue and cooperation in the face of geopolitical, economic and social transformations.
The agenda of this edition will focus on artificial intelligence, academic mobility, response to natural disasters and support for the care sector, as well as cooperation against transnational organized crime and economic growth. The meeting will be presided over by King Felipe VI under the motto “Ibero-America.
Together we build our Community. Together we project it toward the future and toward the world.”
During the summit, Spain will present the results of its two years leading the Pro Tempore Secretariat of the Ibero-American Community and will hand the presidency to Honduras for the 2026-2028 period.
The Madrid summit coincides with the 35th anniversary of the first Ibero-American meeting, held in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1991, and will be the fourth time Spain hosts the gathering, after Madrid in 1992, Salamanca in 2005 and Cádiz in 2012.
