King Felipe VI will hold a meeting this Thursday with the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, in an encounter intended to put the controversy surrounding the Spanish Conquest behind them. Tensions had escalated following the demand for an apology from the Crown made by the now former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, which deteriorated the climate between both countries in recent years, although the Mexican president has already indicated that she wants to discuss the situation of indigenous peoples with the monarch.
From Zarzuela Palace and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, whose head, José Manuel Albares, will accompany the King at the meeting, it has been emphasized that "this trip is part of a context of intensifying bilateral relations between both countries" and that it will serve to reinforce "the bonds of closeness and affinity that unite both peoples."
The meeting at the National Palace will take place during Felipe VI's trip to Mexico to attend the group stage match of the World Cup in Guadalajara on Friday between Spain and Uruguay, an event to which Sheinbaum had extended an invitation, as she did to other heads of state and government from countries whose teams are participating in the tournament.
The meeting marks the culmination of a series of gestures promoted by both the Spanish Government and the Royal Household to mend the discord caused by López Obrador's request for an apology, which never materialized and led the then president to announce a "pause," although diplomatic relations were never formally broken.
The King's Words
On March 17, Felipe VI admitted in the presence of the Mexican ambassador, Quirino Ordaz, during a visit to an exhibition at the Archaeological Museum on women in indigenous Mexico, that there was "much abuse" during the Conquest and acknowledged that those actions, analyzed from the perspective and values of today, are not a cause for "pride."
It was the first time the monarch had spoken on this matter since López Obrador sent him a letter in 2019 demanding an apology for the "abuses" committed during the Conquest, a missive that received no response. This silence, coupled with what the president considered a "looting" by Spanish companies in Mexico, led him to announce a "pause" in relations in February 2022.
The King's remarks, very well received by Sheinbaum, were in line with what Albares had previously said, who, at the inauguration of the same exhibition last October, had already referred to the "chiaroscuros" of shared history and to "injustice".
The Mexican president, who chose not to invite Felipe VI to her inauguration in October 2024 precisely because of this controversy, interpreted the monarch's words as a "gesture of rapprochement", although she admitted that it was not "all" they would have wished for and defended continuing to advance in the recognition of the "great civilizations" that existed in the region before the arrival of the conquerors.
Sheinbaum's visit to Barcelona
Nevertheless, Sheinbaum considered the gesture significant enough to travel to Barcelona in mid-April and participate in a meeting in defense of democracy along with other Ibero-American progressive leaders, as well as to meet with the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez.
After that trip, the thaw has consolidated with visits to Mexico by Albares, at the end of April, and by the first vice-president and Minister of Economy, Carlos Cuerpo, at the beginning of June. On both occasions, the Spanish officials were received by Sheinbaum herself, a gesture that evidences the relevance that the Mexican Executive attaches to the link with Spain.
During his trip, Albares took the opportunity to personally deliver to the Mexican president the King's invitation for her to attend the Ibero-American Summit to be held in early November in Madrid. It is very likely that this international event will be among the issues discussed at Thursday's meeting.
Talking about indigenous peoples
Sheinbaum has already indicated that she wants to discuss with Felipe VI the relevance of indigenous peoples for Mexico. The president highlighted on Wednesday the "different attitude" shown by the King, but insisted on the need to explain to him the vision held in her country.
In this regard, she pointed out that she intends to make him see "why the recognition of indigenous peoples is important for Mexico, their cultural greatness, what the great civilizations of the past and the indigenous peoples of today represent for Mexico, how we changed the Constitution for the full recognition of all their rights".
"These are topics that I want to discuss with him and tell him why it is important for Mexico, beyond the moment of the request for forgiveness" that López Obrador demanded at the time, he added, emphasizing that, as president, she wants to explain "why for us it is a matter of dignity, of recognition of our people and of who we are".