The 30th Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government is being held in Madrid, with the gathering aiming to strengthen the bloc's influence even as sharp ideological differences divide its members, according to EL PAÍS. Spain's King Felipe VI called on the assembled countries to speak with a common voice on behalf of all of Ibero-America, La Razón reported. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was scheduled to address the plenary session, El Debate reported.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Albares downplayed the absence of Argentine President Javier Milei, telling RTVE.es that "despite everything, the summit is going to be a success." The meeting's first day was marked by repeated tributes to the victims of Urda, a speech by Felipe VI in Portuguese, and a menu featuring pixín, a regional term for monkfish, Vanitatis reported.
The coverage points to a summit balancing ceremony and symbolism against the harder task of finding agreement among governments with markedly different political outlooks. Spain, as host, has framed the meeting around regional cooperation and a unified international presence.
What to watch next: whether the plenary sessions produce concrete joint commitments, and how leaders address the ideological divisions that EL PAÍS identified as shaping the agenda.