The Minister of Foreign Affairs, EU and Cooperation, José Manuel Albareshas requested explanations by phone to his Mexican counterpart, Marcelo Ebrardin order to “clarify” the proposal to make a “pause” in the bilateral relationship raised by the president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, diplomatic sources have confirmed to Europa Press.
delivery notes had previously stated the “surprise” of the Government for the words of the Mexican president who, after attack Spain and the Spanish companies present in the country, considered that the best would be a “pause” in the relationship. In this sense, the minister announced that he would try to clarify their “scope” and their meaning.
Likewise, he made it clear that the Government of Spain “has not taken any action that could justify a declaration of this type”, after recalling that the relationship between the two countries is “strategic” and that it goes “beyond sudden verbal statements or punctual words”. Likewise, he stressed that the Executive will always defend the interests of Spain “in any circumstance and before any country.”
The call between Albares and Ebrard “It took place in the usual good tone between the two”, have assured the sources consulted, who have not provided more details about the content of what was discussed by the two ministers and if Albares obtained the clarifications he was looking for. The two ministers had the opportunity to meet on January 27 in Honduras, coinciding with the inauguration of the new president of the country, after which the Government granted the placet to the new Mexican ambassador, who had been requested in November and whose delay had generated doubts in Mexico about whether it was a retaliation for López Obrador’s continued criticism of Spain.
Criticism of the Spanish colonial legacy
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Albares himself had assured before that that there was “interest in opening a new page” and had advanced that “in the coming months we are going to greatly strengthen relations with Mexico”, after the Mexican president himself had also spoken in this same sense. The mexican president has been highly critical of the Spanish colonial legacydemanding on several occasions that Spain apologize for it.
In this regard, he sent a letter in March 2019 to the King Philip VI demanding that “the Spanish State admit its historical responsibility” for the offenses committed during the conquest and “offer the appropriate political apologies or compensation”. A few weeks ago, however, he maintained that relations “are fine”, although he acknowledged that there had been “discrepancies” and in fact “there still are”. In this regard, he referred to the fact that there was never a response to his letter to the King. “They took it badly and they didn’t even reply to my letter,” he said, regretting that the government had not agreed to “offer an apology to restart a new stage.” “However, that’s already happened, everyone who takes responsibility for it,” he said, although he considered that “forgiveness” is something important and “could have helped a lot.” The government, for its part, has always minimized criticismwhich has come to frame “the internal debates” of the Aztec country, and has recognized the importance of the relationship with Mexico, “a strategic partner”, but has also made it clear that it will not apologize for the past.