Claudia Sheinbaum and Pedro Sánchez Seal Spain-Mexico Reconciliation in Barcelona With Handshake

A diplomatic dispute between Spain and Mexico over the Spanish colonial past was laid to rest in Barcelona on Saturday when Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez sealed the moment with “a handshake,” after Sheinbaum told the gathering, “There is no diplomatic crisis, there never was one.”

“With a handshake, Spain and Mexico put diplomatic tussle over their colonial past behind them With a handshake, Spain and Mexico put diplomatic tussle over their colonial past behind them BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — With a few choice words and a handshake, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum laid to rest a diplomatic spat between her government and Spain over the Spanish colonial past during her visit to Barcelona on Saturday”

Associated Press

Sheinbaum made the remarks upon arrival at the IV Meeting in Defense of Democracy, described in the Associated Press report as “a gathering of representatives of 15 countries concerned with the rise of illiberalism.”

Associated Press

Moments before shaking hands with Sánchez, Sheinbaum said, “The important thing is to recognize the efforts of the indigenous people of our land,” framing the reconciliation around indigenous recognition.

The meeting took place in Barcelona, Spain, and the Associated Press report places it during Sheinbaum’s visit to the city on Saturday.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reprints the same account, including Sheinbaum’s line, “There is no diplomatic crisis, there never was one,” and the handshake with Sánchez at the summit.

A separate report also describes the same scene at the IV Meeting in Defence of Democracy, quoting Sheinbaum as saying, “There is no diplomatic crisis; there never was one,” as she prepared to shake hands with Sánchez.

In the same Associated Press account, Sánchez later wrote on X that he spoke with Sheinbaum “about global affairs and the importance of advancing the relations between Mexico and the European Union,” and said, “We are in agreement in continuing to strengthen our special cultural, economic and social ties.”

The reconciliation in Barcelona came after years of escalation tied to Spain’s colonial history and to diplomatic protocol.

The Associated Press report says the international tussle started in 2019, when Sheinbaum’s predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, demanded that Spain “publicly and officially” recognize the abuses committed during the conquest of Mexico in a letter sent to the Spanish king and Pope Francis.

Cadena 3 Argentina

It adds that Spain refused to comply, which “soured relations between the two governments,” and that relations hit a low point in 2024 when Sheinbaum did not invite Felipe to her inauguration over the palace’s refusal to issue a formal apology, a move that Sánchez called “unacceptable.”

The Associated Press account further states that Spain then refused to send a representative to Sheinbaum’s inauguration “in a breach of tradition.”

Reuters reporting in Global Banking & Finance Review places the meeting on Saturday in Barcelona “after a summit of progressive leaders,” and it similarly ties the background to the 2019 demand for an apology for abuses committed during Spain’s colonial rule in Mexico that “was not met at the time.”

Zonebourse Suisse likewise recounts that relations deteriorated under López Obrador, who in 2019 demanded “apologies for abuses committed during Spain's colonial domination in Mexico,” and that the request remained unanswered.

Cadena 3 Argentina adds that the dispute softened after King Felipe VI in March publicly acknowledged that the conquest of the Americas involved “abuse” toward Indigenous peoples, and it describes that recognition as “key to softening tensions.”

Across the accounts, the reconciliation is also linked to a later symbolic step: the Mexican government inviting the Spanish monarch to attend a World Cup match this summer, following Felipe’s March acknowledgment.

At the IV Meeting in Defense of Democracy in Barcelona, Sheinbaum used the language of reconciliation while emphasizing indigenous recognition, saying, “There is no diplomatic crisis, there never was one,” and adding, “The important thing is to recognize the efforts of the indigenous people of our land.”

“✕ Home News Analysis Agro-Forestry Art & Culture Technology Economy & Business Education Energy & Extractives Politics Law & Governance Health Science & Environment Social & Gender Sports Transport Urban Development WASH Research LogIn/SignUp Close the sidebar Diplomatic Harmony: Mexico and Spain Move Forward Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum resolved a diplomatic dispute with Spain over historical colonial issues”

Devdiscourse

The Associated Press report says Sánchez did not publicly mention the now-resolved diplomatic issue at Saturday’s events, while thanking Sheinbaum for offering to host the next edition of the pro-democracy summit next year.

In the same Associated Press account, Sánchez wrote on X that he spoke with Sheinbaum “about global affairs and the importance of advancing the relations between Mexico and the European Union,” and he said, “We are in agreement in continuing to strengthen our special cultural, economic and social ties.”

Reuters reporting in Global Banking & Finance Review quotes Sheinbaum telling reporters as she left the event that “there is no diplomatic crisis (with Spain); there never has been,” and it also includes her statement that she “still outlined Mexico's stance on the importance of acknowledging the abuses committed during the colonization of Latin America.”

Reuters also brings in Spain’s economy minister, Carlos Cuerpo, who told reporters at the summit, “I believe that President Sheinbaum's presence here is a very important and positive sign of a rapprochement between the two countries,” and he highlighted boosting trade and investment ties.

Zonebourse Suisse repeats Sheinbaum’s remarks to reporters as she left the event, including “There has already been a rapprochement from both the Spanish president and the king themselves, which we acknowledge,” and it quotes Cuerpo’s view that her presence was “a very important and positive sign of a rapprochement.”

Cadena 3 Argentina adds that Sheinbaum said, “There is no diplomatic crisis, there never has been one,” just before clasping hands with Pedro Sánchez.

Together, the accounts show multiple named voices—Sheinbaum, Sánchez, Felipe VI, and Cuerpo—using the same reconciliation frame while keeping the focus on indigenous recognition and broader ties.

While the core event is consistent across outlets—Sheinbaum’s handshake with Sánchez in Barcelona at the IV Meeting in Defense of Democracy—different reports emphasize different aspects of what the moment signaled.

The Associated Press frames the handshake as the end of a “diplomatic spat” over the Spanish colonial past and notes that Sánchez “did not publicly mention the now-resolved diplomatic issue at Saturday’s events,” focusing instead on thanking Sheinbaum for hosting the next summit.

European Interest

European Interest, which says it used information from The Associated Press, similarly highlights the reconciliation narrative but adds detail about Sheinbaum’s emphasis on indigenous contributions and the private meeting “lasting nearly an hour” between Sheinbaum and Sánchez.

Global Banking & Finance Review, drawing on Reuters, describes the meeting as occurring “on the sidelines of the IV ‘In defense of democracy’ summit” and explicitly calls it “signaling a rapprochement,” while also stressing that it was “the first visit by a Mexican president to Spain since the ruling Morena party came to power in 2018.”

Zonebourse Suisse also emphasizes the “first visit by a Mexican president to Spain since Morena came to power in 2018,” and it highlights the economic angle by quoting Cuerpo on boosting trade and investment “particularly in the energy, infrastructure and finance sectors.”

Cadena 3 Argentina, while also describing the handshake and the 15-nation summit, provides a “Quick take” style recap that states, “What was resolved between Spain and Mexico? A diplomatic dispute related to the Spanish colonial past in the Americas was closed.”

The same Cadena 3 report also specifies the date as “April 18, 2026 | 9:15 AM,” and it says the meeting took place “within the framework of the Fourth Meeting in Defense of Democracy.”

Devdiscourse, though it presents itself as analysis, likewise repeats the reconciliation framing and includes the claim that “The reconciliation is now expected to bolster international relations,” while tying it to Felipe VI’s March acknowledgment and the 2019 demand for a formal apology.

The reports connect the handshake not only to the resolution of the colonial-past dispute but also to follow-on diplomatic and political steps.

“Quick Summary Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum met with Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in Barcelona on April 18, marking the first visit by a Mexican head of state to Spain since 2018 and signaling a thaw in bilateral relations”

Global Banking & Finance Review®

The Associated Press says the unprecedented step toward reconciliation by King Felipe VI was followed by the Mexican government inviting the Spanish monarch to attend a World Cup match this summer, and it adds that Sheinbaum and Sánchez later met privately for nearly an hour, according to Sánchez’s office.

Global Banking & Finance Review®

It also states that Sánchez thanked Sheinbaum for offering to host the next edition of the pro-democracy summit next year, while not publicly mentioning the resolved dispute at Saturday’s events.

Reuters reporting in Global Banking & Finance Review similarly says Sheinbaum “said she had invited Sanchez to attend the fifth edition of the summit, to be held in Mexico next year,” and it describes the meeting as part of the fourth “In defense of democracy” summit.

Zonebourse Suisse repeats that Sheinbaum invited Sánchez to participate in the fifth edition of the summit “which will be held in Mexico next year,” and it emphasizes the broader agenda of strengthening relations and boosting trade and investment.

In the Associated Press account, Sánchez’s X post ties the next steps to “advancing the relations between Mexico and the European Union,” and he wrote, “We are in agreement in continuing to strengthen our special cultural, economic and social ties.”

The European Interest report also says Sánchez later expressed on social media “We are in agreement on the necessity of strengthening our special cultural, economic, and social ties,” and it notes that he refrained from publicly addressing the earlier diplomatic tensions during Saturday’s events.

Cadena 3 Argentina states that Sánchez did not reference the diplomatic dispute during the summit but thanked Sheinbaum for offering to host the next edition next year, aligning with the Associated Press framing.