**Primary Article:**
**Sheinbaum Decides Not to Invite Spanish King to Inauguration Due to Unanswered Letter from AMLO**
Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, the President-elect of Mexico, announced on September 25, 2024, her decision not to invite King Felipe VI of Spain to her inauguration ceremony on October 1, 2024. Sheinbaum’s decision comes after the Spanish government branded the lack of an invitation as unacceptable.
In July 2024, a diplomatic note was sent inviting the Spanish President, Pedro Sánchez Pardo, to the event. Sheinbaum detailed in a two-page letter that this was based on a historical snub involving a letter sent by the current Mexican President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), to King Felipe VI in March 2019. The letter proposed bilateral efforts to recognize historical grievances as part of Mexico’s bicentennial celebrations. According to Sheinbaum, the letter was never directly responded to, affecting diplomatic relations.
Sheinbaum stated that this historical context and the importance of recognizing indigenous peoples’ rights have shaped her decision. Despite the ongoing friendly relations and significant economic, cultural, and tourist ties between Mexico and Spain, Sheinbaum emphasized the need for a renewed historical perspective based on respectful bilateral relations.
**Secondary Article:**
**Tension Between Mexico and Spain Over Unresolved Historical Grievances**
The recent diplomatic strain between Mexico and Spain, triggered by Claudia Sheinbaum’s decision not to invite King Felipe VI to her inauguration, is rooted in unresolved issues dating back to colonial times.
AMLO’s strained relationship with Spain is part of a broader effort to seek historical recognition for colonial abuses, which has been a recurring theme in his administration. In past statements, AMLO criticized Spanish companies such as Repsol and Iberdrola for allegedly exploiting Mexican resources with support from previous administrations, which he refers to as part of the neoliberal period.
These historical and economic grievances were highlighted in 2019, when AMLO sent a letter to King Felipe VI requesting a public apology for the historical abuses committed during the Spanish conquest of Mexico, a gesture that has yet to be reciprocated formally.
Despite these tensions, diplomatic and economic ties between the two nations remain intact. Earlier in 2024, the non-governmental association ‘Familiares por Nuestros Desaparecidos de Jalisco’ was awarded the IX Human Rights Award by King Felipe VI, symbolizing ongoing bilateral cooperation in specific areas.
AMLO has reiterated that his administration’s actions aim to foster respectful and sovereign business and diplomatic relations, distancing Mexico from past policies that he argues allowed for foreign companies’ undue influence. This latest decision by Sheinbaum is seen as an extension of that policy, reaffirming the importance of historical acknowledgment and mutual respect in bilateral relations.
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