A setback for socialist Pedro Sánchez: Lula, Sheinbaum and Delcy Rodríguez will not attend his Ibero-American Summit in Madrid
The absence of the three left-wing Latin American leaders stands in contrast to the presence of Javier Milei and José Antonio Kast. The event will ultimately bring together ten heads of state and government, fewer than the 15 the organizers had expected.
Photo of Pedro Sánchez
The socialist presidents of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum; and Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, will not participate in the 30th Ibero-American Summit, which will be held this week in Madrid. The absence of these three far-left leaders represents a setback for the diplomatic efforts of Pedro Sánchez's government to restore the forum's relevance.
As reported by El País on Tuesday, the leaders' absences were confirmed by sources at La Moncloa. The summit will, however, be attended by other Latin American leaders, including Argentine President Javier Milei and Chilean President José Antonio Kast, two representatives of the region's political right.
The Ibero-American Summit will take place this Wednesday and Thursday, following months of diplomatic efforts led by the Spanish government to restore the summit's relevance after the low turnout at its previous edition, held in Cuenca, Ecuador in November 2024.
On that occasion, only the heads of state of Spain and Portugal, the head of government of Andorra, and Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa—the host of the meeting—attended. Furthermore, the participants were unable to adopt a joint declaration.
Ten heads of state and government will attend the summit
According to information published by El País, the organizers of the Ibero-American Summit had hoped to bring together around 15 heads of state. Ultimately, the summit will feature ten top-level representatives: those from Andorra, Portugal, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic, in addition to Spain.
Three other countries will be represented by their vice presidents: Colombia, Ecuador and El Salvador. The remaining nine will send their foreign ministers, according to sources at La Moncloa cited by the Spanish newspaper.
The absence of Lula and Sheinbaum is particularly significant given the political, demographic, and economic weight of Brazil and Mexico in Latin America. Both countries are governed by left-wing forces and represent two of the main political strongholds of that movement in the region.
In Lula's case, Spanish government sources noted that the Brazilian president is coming off an intense election campaign—with the physical toll that entails—and that he also plans to make another international trip next week.
Meanwhile, sources at La Moncloa confirmed that Delcy Rodríguez will not be attending the summit in Madrid either.
Milei and Kast, among the key figures at the meeting
The presence of Javier Milei and José Antonio Kast will give the summit a marked political contrast given the absence of several of the main representatives of the left.
The Argentine president arrives at the summit after engaging in fresh verbal clashes with Pedro Sánchez during his recent visit to Madrid. On that occasion, Milei called the Spanish prime minister an "unpresentable dictator," "corrupt," and "authoritarian" during a breakfast briefing.
Thursday's plenary session
The 30th Ibero-American Summit is thus marked by the absence of three socialist leaders from Latin America and by the participation of right-wing leaders such as Milei and Kast, against a backdrop of political differences that will test the participating countries' ability to reach consensus.
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