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MADRID: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Sunday said improving ties with Mexico is a priority for his government after years of diplomatic tensions over Spain’s colonial past.
Sanchez acknowledged the “light and shadow” in their shared history during an interview with El Pais daily, stressing that recognizing both is key to building stronger relations.
“I can guarantee that for Spain, normalizing our relations with a country we consider very close is a priority,” he said.
The prime minister highlighted Mexico’s support for Spanish exiles after the 1936-39 civil war, noting the historic and cultural bonds between the two nations.
Relations have been strained in recent years due to calls by Mexican leaders for an official apology from Spain for colonial-era abuses.
In 2019, then-President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador sent a letter to Spain’s King Felipe VI demanding an apology for the abuses committed during the 1519-1521 Spanish conquest of Mexico and the ensuing three centuries of colonial rule.
Spain rejected the request while the king did not respond publicly.
The issue resurfaced last month when Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum renewed calls for an official apology.
In response, Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares acknowledged the “pain and injustice” inflicted on Indigenous peoples during the Spanish conquest of the Americas.
“There was injustice — it is only fair to recognize it today, and fair to regret it. Because that is also part of our shared history, and we cannot deny or forget it,” he added.
Mesoamerica, a region that comprised parts of Mexico and Central America, had an estimated population of 15 million to 30 million people when conquistador Hernan Cortes arrived with an army of several hundred men, bringing horses, swords, guns — and smallpox — in 1519.
After a century of battles, massacres and plagues, only an estimated one million to two million Indigenous inhabitants remained.