Ibero-American Summit Opens in Madrid with Leaders from 22 Nations

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia opened the 30th Ibero-American Summit in Madrid on Wednesday, gathering leaders from Spanish and Portuguese-speaking nations to boost Europe-Latin America cooperation. Only 10 of the 22 member countries sent heads of state or government, with Argentina's Javier Milei, Chile's Jose Antonio Kast, and Guatemala's Bernardo Arevalo among seven Latin American presidents present. Brazil's Lula, Mexico's Sheinbaum, and Venezuela's acting president Rodriguez were absent, highlighting political divisions ahead of Spain's November 29 general election. UN chief Antonio Guterres and European Council President Antonio Costa attended, while Ukraine's Zelensky visited Madrid for separate talks. Thursday's agenda includes a plenary session and official photo, as Spain mourns 69 victims of last week's rail accident.