Milei to Attend Ibero-American Summit in Madrid Amid Notable Absences

Argentine President Javier Milei will travel to Madrid this Thursday to attend the XXX Ibero-American Summit. He will be accompanied by his sister and Presidential Secretary General Karina Milei and Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno. The three officials will depart on Tuesday at 11 p.m.

The summit will take place on November 4 and 5 under the motto "Ibero-America, together we build our Community, together we project it toward the future and toward the world." Leaders from 22 Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries are expected to participate.

“Behind the protocols, gala dresses and dinners in palaces, there is a question floating among the region's chancelleries: does it still make sense to meet every two years a group of countries that share language, history and also many differences?”

The agenda focuses on promoting digital transformation and coordinating responses to natural disasters. It also aims to structure public policies for care and academic mobility. Leaders will seek to launch the first Ibero-American alliance on Artificial Intelligence.

This will be Milei's eighth trip to Spain since he assumed the presidency. The visit occurs days before European elections in which Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez seeks to retain his mandate, while Milei openly supports the opposition.

The Spanish government confirmed that 10 of the 22 heads of state and government will attend the summit. Those present include leaders from Spain, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Portugal, the Dominican Republic, and Andorra.

Notable absences include Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, and Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez. They will send their respective foreign ministers. Colombia, Ecuador, and El Salvador will be represented by their vice presidents.

No face-to-face meeting is scheduled between Lula and Milei following previous clashes between the two leaders. The Brazilian presidency stated that participation in that agenda is not planned.