The president of the Spanish authorities, Pedro Sánchez, thought of it “inexplicable and unacceptable” that King Felipe VI has been exempted from presidential switch to Mexico by resolution of the president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum herself. Subsequently, there will likely be no illustration from Madrid on the ceremony.
“We discover it completely unacceptable that the presence of our head of state is excluded,” Sanchez advised a information convention at UN headquarters in New York.
The pinnacle of the Spanish authorities thus joined his Overseas Ministry's assertion on Tuesday to the impact that there won’t be a delegation from Madrid on the occasion in Mexico Metropolis on October 1.
“Because of this we’ve got expressed to the Mexican authorities the absence of any diplomatic consultant of the Spanish authorities as an indication of protest,” Sánchez added.
Sheinbaum himself issued an announcement this Wednesday explaining the the explanation why he determined to ask solely Sanchez and never the monarch, who often represents Spain in Latin American investments even earlier than he turned king.
The president-elect cites the “background” as a letter outgoing president Andrés Manuel López Obrador despatched the king in 2019 inviting him and the pope to recognize the “grievances occasioned” by the Conquest of Mexico (1521-1821).
“Sadly, the letter says remained unansweredadded the president-elect, additionally scolding that it was leaked to the media.
What would be the first president within the historical past of Mexico clarified that she has already addressed the difficulty with Sanchez. “A few days in the past he known as me and we talked”, he added with out giving particulars.
The Spanish chief admitted that he has contacts with the longer term Mexican president, but in addition refused to elaborate on the topic. The talks “stay within the realm of discretion,” he mentioned.
Conflictual relationship
López Obrador, president since 2018, twice decreed a “pause” in bilateral relations with Spainone for issuing the letter and one other for contemplating the practices of Spanish power firms in Mexico as abusive.
Mexican authorities printed every week in the past the listing of dignitaries who will attend Sheinbaum's inauguration.
The Spanish monarch doesn’t seem on the listing, which incorporates vital leaders of Latin America's left and social democracy, corresponding to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and different figures corresponding to Jill Biden, the spouse of the United president. the states.
“The pinnacle of state, the king of Spain, all the time goes to all of the inaugurations and subsequently we can not settle for that on this case he’s excluded”, mentioned the Spanish Minister of Protection Margarita Robles this Wednesday in a press assertion on the Congress of Deputies.
“And for that reason,” continued Robles, “if the pinnacle of state is excluded, Spain won’t be represented, which we’re very sorry for as a result of the Mexican individuals are a brother individuals.”
The presences and visits of King Felipe VI
As inheritor to the throne and later king, Felipe VI has participated in about 80 investiture ceremonies in Latin Americain keeping with the Spanish newspaper nationwho was the primary to report the matter.
In 2022, on the investiture of the social democrat Gabriel Boric in Chile, he criticized that the ceremony was delayed as a result of Felipe VI arrived lateone thing the Royal Family attributed to a scheduling drawback that was not the monarch's duty. The Chilean authorities later relented.
In the identical yr, on the inauguration of Gustavo Petro in Colombia, the monarch was reprimanded for not standing towards the sword of the liberator Simón Bolívar, as different company did.
Recalling this episode, far-left Spanish MP Ione Belarra, from the Podemos get together, defended Mexico's resolution to not invite him. “The king embarrassed Spain on the inauguration of Gustavo Petros and now he isn’t invited to Mexico,” he writes on the X social community, ensuring that “the king is an issue for worldwide relations based mostly on respect.”
Catalan pro-independence lawmaker Gabriel Rufián additionally celebrated the expulsion with a “Lengthy reside Mexico, you bastards,” in a press assertion to Congress.
Spain is the nation with the second highest funding in Mexico, after solely the US, and hundreds of Spanish firms function on Mexican territory, together with BBVA and Santander, the primary banks within the Mexican market.