Sheinbaum meets Sánchez in Barcelona, signaling thaw in Mexico-Spain ties

Claudia Sheinbaum’s meeting with Pedro Sánchez in Barcelona put Mexico and Spain on a possible path out of years of diplomatic strain, with both governments signaling that trade and investment now matter more than colonial-era grievances.

The encounter on Saturday came after the fourth In Defence of Democracy summit and marked the first visit by a Mexican president to Spain since 2018. It followed a long freeze in relations that began in 2019, when Andrés Manuel López Obrador asked Spain to apologize for abuses committed during the conquest and colonial rule of Mexico. Spain never answered, and the dispute hardened into a political symbol on both sides of the Atlantic.

The tension flared again in 2024. In September, Sheinbaum confirmed King Felipe VI would not be invited to her Oct. 1 inauguration because he had not responded to López Obrador’s letter. Spain then withdrew from the ceremony altogether, deepening the sense that the rift had moved beyond a historical argument into a broader diplomatic rupture.

In Barcelona, both sides appeared ready to move on. Sheinbaum said there was “no diplomatic crisis,” while Sánchez thanked her for offering to host the next edition of the democracy summit next year. Spain’s economy minister, speaking at the gathering, called her presence “a very important and positive sign of a rapprochement between the two countries,” and pointed directly to the stakes in energy, infrastructure and financial services.

That economic dimension is central to the thaw. Mexico is one of Latin America’s largest economies and a key market for Spanish companies, while Spain offers Mexico a deeper bridge into Europe at a time when both governments are looking to diversify partners and attract capital. A warmer relationship could help unlock investment flows, expand commercial ties and give Mexico a stronger foothold in EU-Latin America strategy.

The summit itself underscored how this reset is unfolding inside a broader political project. About 15 countries were represented in Barcelona, and leaders used the platform to defend democratic institutions and push back against the far right. For Sheinbaum and Sánchez, the meeting suggested that old disputes are giving way to a more pragmatic agenda, where historical tensions remain real but no longer define the relationship.