Sheinbaum Announces First Mexico-Spain Presidential Visit in 8 Years: April 18 Barcelona Progressive Summit

President Sheinbaum announced at her April 10 morning press conference that she will travel to Barcelona on April 18 to attend the first Global Progressive Mobilisation (GPM) summit — the inaugural gathering of a new international platform promoted by the Socialist International, the Party of European Socialists, and the Progressive Alliance. Confirmed participants include Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, alongside European Council President António Costa. The summit is organized under the 'En Defensa de la Democracia' (In Defense of Democracy) initiative and will focus on coordinating progressive foreign policy positions in response to the global rise of right-wing governments. Sheinbaum said she would travel for one day only, departing and returning to maintain her regular schedule. The visit marks the first official Mexican presidential visit to Spain in eight years — AMLO had placed bilateral relations 'on pause' for four years over a dispute related to the Spanish conquest. Sheinbaum's attendance signals a normalization of ties with Spain that began after her October 2024 inauguration.