Mexico–Spain Relations
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Formal diplomatic relations between Mexico and Spain were established in 1836, about 15 years after the end of the
Mexican War of Independence The Mexican War of Independence (, 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821) was an armed conflict and political process resulting in Mexico's independence from the Spanish Empire. It was not a single, coherent event, but local and regional ...
from colonial rule of the
Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire, sometimes referred to as the Hispanic Monarchy (political entity), Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, was a colonial empire that existed between 1492 and 1976. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, it ushered ...
. After the 1521 conquest of the Aztec Empire,
Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
had become the centre of power of a large colonial domain of the Spanish empire known as
New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( ; Nahuatl: ''Yankwik Kaxtillan Birreiyotl''), originally the Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain. It was one of several ...
, whose remittances of royal silver developed into a key feature of the finances of the Spanish empire. Relations remained strained initially. They improved during the
porfiriato The Porfiriato or Porfirismo (, ), coined by Mexican historian Daniel Cosío Villegas, is a term given to the period when General Porfirio Díaz ruled Mexico under an Authoritarianism, authoritarian military dictatorship in the late 19th and e ...
and worsened upon the onset of the
Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution () was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from 20 November 1910 to 1 December 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It saw the destruction of the Federal Army, its ...
. A key international supporter of the
Spanish Second Republic The Spanish Republic (), commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic (), was the form of democratic government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931 after the deposition of King Alfonso XIII. It was dissol ...
during the 1936–39
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
, Mexico severed relations with Spain in the aftermath of conflict, subsequently providing sanctuary to the Spanish Republican government in exile and to numerous Spanish refugees fleeing from the
Francoist dictatorship Francoist Spain (), also known as the Francoist dictatorship (), or Nationalist Spain () was the period of Spanish history between 1936 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death i ...
. Diplomatic relations were re-established in 1977 and have continued unabated since. Both nations are members of the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; , OCDE) is an international organization, intergovernmental organization with 38 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and international trade, wor ...
,
Organization of Ibero-American States The Organization of Ibero-American States (, , ; abbreviated as OEI), formally the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture, is an international organization made up of Member states of the Organization of Ibero-Am ...
and the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
. They share cultural ties and a common language.


History


Spanish conquest

The Spanish conquistador
Hernán Cortés Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro Altamirano, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca (December 1485 – December 2, 1547) was a Spanish ''conquistador'' who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions o ...
led an expedition to what is now Mexico in 1518, establishing the city of
Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entit ...
on his arrival.
Tenochtitlan , also known as Mexico-Tenochtitlan, was a large Mexican in what is now the historic center of Mexico City. The exact date of the founding of the city is unclear, but the date 13 March 1325 was chosen in 1925 to celebrate the 600th annivers ...
, the capital of the
Aztec Empire The Aztec Empire, also known as the Triple Alliance (, Help:IPA/Nahuatl, jéːʃkaːn̥ t͡ɬaʔtoːˈlóːjaːn̥ or the Tenochca Empire, was an alliance of three Nahuas, Nahua altepetl, city-states: , , and . These three city-states rul ...
, was conquered by the Spanish and the
Tlaxcaltec The Tlaxcallans, or Tlaxcaltec, are an indigenous Nahua people who originate from Tlaxcala, Mexico. The Confederacy of Tlaxcala was instrumental in overthrowing the Aztec Empire in 1521, alongside conquistadors from the Kingdom of Spain. The ...
s in 1521. Rebuilt to present-day
Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
, the new capital was founded as the center of power for the subsequent
Viceroyalty of New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( ; Nahuatl: ''Yankwik Kaxtillan Birreiyotl''), originally the Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain. It was one of several ...
in 1535. The viceroyalty had a stratified social hierarchy based on race with the
criollo Criollo or criolla (Spanish for creole) may refer to: People * Criollo people, a social class in the Spanish colonial system. Animals * Criollo duck, a species of duck native to Central and South America. * Criollo cattle, a group of cattle bre ...
s on top, who had the most rights, until the
Laws of the Indies The Laws of the Indies () are the entire body of laws issued by the Spanish Crown in 1573 for the American and the Asian possessions of its empire. They regulated social, political, religious, and economic life in these areas. The laws are com ...
were established throughout the
Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire, sometimes referred to as the Hispanic Monarchy (political entity), Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, was a colonial empire that existed between 1492 and 1976. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, it ushered ...
in the
Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...
. Likewise, the rights of the
Aztec nobility The Pipiltin (sg. ''pilli'') were the noble social class in the Mexica Empire. They are the lowest nobles in the civilization's social structure and above the commoners who achieved noble status due to an outstanding deed in war. These people were ...
were recognized, which lived and co-governed with the Spanish during the viceroyalty.


Independence

The late 18th and early 19th century saw much revolutionary feeling in the countries of Western Europe and their colonies. The feeling built up in Mexico after the occupation of Spain by the French Revolutionary Emperor
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
in 1808, and the 1810 ''Grito de Dolores'' speech by Mexican Catholic priest
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla Don Miguel Gregorio Antonio Ignacio Hidalgo y Costilla Gallaga Mandarte y Villaseñor (8 May 1753 – 30 July 1811), commonly known as Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla or simply Miguel Hidalgo (), was a Catholic priest, leader of the Mexican War ...
against Spanish rule is widely recognized as the beginning of the
Mexican War of Independence The Mexican War of Independence (, 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821) was an armed conflict and political process resulting in Mexico's independence from the Spanish Empire. It was not a single, coherent event, but local and regional ...
. In 1811, Hidalgo was executed by the Spanish militia, but his movement fought on until the establishment of the independent constitutional
Mexican Empire Mexican Empire may refer to: * First Mexican Empire The Mexican Empire (, ) was a constitutional monarchy and the first independent government of Mexico. It was also the only former viceroyalty of the Spanish Empire to establish a monarchy af ...
in 1821, after the
Treaty of Córdoba The Treaty of Córdoba established Mexican independence from Spain at the conclusion of the Mexican War of Independence. It was signed on August 24, 1821 in Córdoba, Veracruz, Mexico. The signatories were the head of the Army of the Three Guar ...
. The Empire was ousted and the first
Mexican Republic Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
created in 1823.


Post-independence

Spain established diplomatic relations with Mexico on 26 December 1836 (15 years after Mexico had declared its independence). In the beginning, the diplomatic relationship between the two nations was strained due to Mexico having been a former colony of Spain and the latter's unsuccessful endeavors to reconquer its former colony in the ensuing years under General
Isidro Barradas Isidro Plácido Del Rosario Barrada y Valdés (Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, 6 October 1782 – Marseille, France, 14 August 1835) was a Spanish general sent to Mexico in 1829, eight years after Mexican independence in an ultimately unsuccessful ...
. General
Juan Prim Juan Prim y Prats, 1st Count of Reus, 1st Marquis of los Castillejos, 1st Viscount of Bruch (; ; 6 December 1814 – 30 December 1870) was a Spanish general and statesman who was briefly Prime Minister of Spain until his assassination. Bio ...
commanded the Spanish expeditionary army in
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
in 1862, when
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
,
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
, and the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
sought forced payment from the liberal government of
Benito Juárez Benito Pablo Juárez García (; 21 March 1806 – 18 July 1872) was a Mexican politician, military commander, and lawyer who served as the 26th president of Mexico from 1858 until his death in office in 1872. A Zapotec peoples, Zapotec, he w ...
for loans. Prim was a sympathizer with the Mexican liberal cause, thus he refused to consent to the ambitious schemes of French emperor
Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...
, and withdrew Spanish forces following a meeting with
Manuel Doblado Manuel Doblado Partida (12 June 1818 – 19 June 1865) was a Mexican prominent liberal politician and lawyer who served as congressman, Governor of Guanajuato, Minister of Foreign Affairs (1861) in the cabinet of President Juárez and fought ...
.Brian Hamnett, ''Juárez'', New York: Longmans 1994, pp. 169, 278. During the
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
(1936–1939), Mexico had provided arms to the Republican faction and refuge to political refugees. Throughout the war, Mexican volunteers joined the Republican side to fight
Francisco Franco Francisco Franco Bahamonde (born Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco Bahamonde; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general and dictator who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces i ...
. In 1939 when Francisco Franco took power in Spain, Mexico severed diplomatic relations between the two nations. After the war, thousands of Spanish refugees sought asylum in Mexico and former Mexican consul in
Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
, France,
Gilberto Bosques Saldívar Gilberto Bosques Saldívar (20 July 1892 – 4 July 1995) was a Mexican diplomat and before that a militant in the Mexican Revolution and a leftist legislator. As a consul in Marseille, Vichy France, Bosques took initiative to rescue tens o ...
, issued thousands of visas to Spanish refugees and other asylees to seek refuge in Mexico. Though the Republicans had lost the war, this helped improve the relationship between the two countries after the death of Franco. Mexico and Spain re-established diplomatic relations on 28 March 1977. Since re-establishing diplomatic relations, both nations share close and warm diplomatic relations. On several occasions, both countries had supported each other diplomatically and there have been several high-level visits and meetings between both governments including with the
Spanish royal family The Spanish royal family constitutes the Spanish branch of the House of Bourbon (), also known as the House of Bourbon-Anjou (). The royal family is headed by King Felipe VI and currently consists of the King; Queen Letizia; their children, Leono ...
. Soon after re-establishing diplomatic relations 1977; Spanish Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez paid an official visit to Mexico, the first ever by a Spanish head of government. That same year, in October 1977, Mexican President José López Portillo paid an official visit to Spain.


Relations in the 21st century

Several
Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
n countries, including
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
, have been accused of harboring members of the armed organization
ETA Eta ( ; uppercase , lowercase ; ''ē̂ta'' or ''ita'' ) is the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the close front unrounded vowel, . Originally denoting the voiceless glottal fricative, , in most dialects of Ancient Greek, it ...
. From June 29 to July 1, 2015, the king and queen of Spain,
Felipe VI Felipe VI (; Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Grecia; born 30 January 1968) is King of Spain. In accordance with the Spanish Constitution, as monarch, he is head of state and commander-in-chief of the Spanish Armed For ...
and
Letizia Ortiz Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano (; born 15 September 1972) is Queen of Spain as the wife of King Felipe VI. Letizia was born in Oviedo, Asturias. She worked as a journalist for '' ABC'' and EFE before becoming a news anchor at CNN+ and Televisión ...
, paid a state visit to Mexico. They were received by the head of Government of the Federal District,
Miguel Ángel Mancera Miguel Ángel Mancera Espinosa (; born 16 January 1966) is a Mexican lawyer and politician who works with the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD). He served as the Mayor of Mexico City from 2012 to 2018. Mancera graduated from the Facult ...
, at the City Hall Palace, where they received the appointment of Distinguished Guests. King Felipe VI attended the Mexico Spain Business Forum, in which businessmen and representatives of the governments of the two nations also participated. Meanwhile, Queen Letizia participated in a meeting with the Ibero-American Alliance for Rare Diseases. They were also received in a solemn session in the Republic's Senate, where the anthems of the two nations were sung and the guest book was signed. Don Felipe and Doña Letizia attended a lunch organized by the Spanish Embassy in Mexico, during which they had the opportunity to meet and talk with members of the Spanish community in Mexico. Their Royal Highnesses traveled to
Zacatecas Zacatecas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Zacatecas, is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 31 states of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Zacatecas, 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas City, Zacatec ...
, where they held the closing ceremony of the "past, present and future" colloquium on relations between Mexico and Spain, at the Guadalupe Viceroyalty Museum. Mexican President
Enrique Peña Nieto Enrique Peña Nieto (; born 20 July 1966), commonly referred to by his initials EPN, is a Mexican former politician and lawyer who was the 64th president of Mexico from 2012 to 2018. A member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), he p ...
and his wife,
Angélica Rivera Angélica Rivera Hurtado (; born 2 August 1969) is a Mexican singer, model and telenovela actress who, as the wife of Former President Enrique Peña Nieto, was the First Lady of Mexico from 2012 to 2018. During her husband's tenure as preside ...
, accompanied the royal couple to most of their engagements, including this last one. On September 19, 2017, Mexico suffered an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 that seriously affected different areas of the country, including its capital,
Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
, where several buildings collapsed. The following day, the
Military Emergencies Unit The Emergency Military Unit (, UME; ) is a branch of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for providing disaster relief throughout Spain mainly, and abroad if required. It is the newest branch of the Spanish Armed Forces. History The decision t ...
(UME) began the progressive deployment of an Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team with health support, communications and logistics capabilities. A total of 54 soldiers, two of them from the Army, who flew to Mexico in an Air Force Airbus in response to a bilateral request from the Government of that country. Coordinated by the Centralized Command for the Management of International Teams, the UME USAR team collaborated with the country's emergency services to rescue the greatest number of people alive and recover the dead bodies that could be trapped in the rubble. In 2019, Mexican President
Andrés Manuel López Obrador Andrés Manuel López Obrador (; born 13 November 1953), also known by his initials AMLO, is a Mexican former politician, political scientist, public administrator and writer who served as the 65th president of Mexico from 2018 to 2024. He se ...
classified foreign investment in Mexico as "neocolonialist" and linked Spanish and U.S. companies without evidence, the same political situation that occurred in other Latin American countries such as
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
or
Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
. In January, the President of the Spanish Government,
Pedro Sánchez Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón (; born 29 February 1972) is a Spanish politician who has served as Prime Minister of Spain since 2018. He has also been Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) since July 2017, having p ...
, made an official visit to Mexico and met with the Mexican president. Both leaders commemorated eighty years since the end of the Spanish civil war and recognized Mexico's openness to receive thousands of Spanish refugees who fled their homes and found asylum in Mexico and their contribution to their adopted country. However, in March, the Mexican Government demanded a public apology from Spain for the
conquest of Mexico The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire was a pivotal event in the history of the Americas, marked by the collision of the Aztec Triple Alliance and the Spanish Empire. Taking place between 1519 and 1521, this event saw the Spanish conquista ...
, which was firmly rejected, both by the Spanish Crown and Government as well as by the
National Indigenous Congress The National Indigenous Congress (''Congreso Nacional Indígena'', CNI) is an organization of communities, nations, towns, neighbourhoods and Indigenous tribes of Mexico. In its own words, the CNI is "... a space of unity, reflection and organi ...
(CNI) of Mexico through its spokeswoman,
María de Jesús Patricio Martínez María de Jesús Patricio Martínez (born 23 December 1963), also known as Marichuy, is a traditional medicine healer and human rights activist in Mexico. Of Nahua descent, she was chosen as "representative indigenous spokeswoman" by National I ...
, who described the petition as "a simulation" and stated that what the Mexican president should do is stop dispossessing indigenous communities of the land. In addition, 62% of the Mexican population believes that López Obrador used the conquest to do politics, while more than half of Mexicans (55%) do not consider an apology necessary for colonization. In fact, the descendants of the Aztec emperor
Moctezuma II Moctezuma Xocoyotzin . ( – 29 June 1520), retroactively referred to in European sources as Moctezuma II, and often simply called Montezuma,Other variant spellings include Moctezuma, Motewksomah, Motecuhzomatzin, Moteuczoma, Motecuhzoma, Motē ...
, such as Juan José Marcilla de Teruel-Moctezuma y Valcárcel (current holder of the Dukedom of Moctezuma de Tultengo), criticized the Mexican president, considering that there is no point in apologizing for something that happened five centuries ago, and that they do not want their ancestors to be used for political purposes to cause social division. In November 2020, Spanish Foreign Minister
Arancha González Laya María Aránzazu "Arancha" González Laya (born 22 May 1969) is a Spanish lawyer who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation in the Spanish government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez from 2020 to 2021. Currently, G ...
paid a visit to Mexico. In April 2021, the visit was reciprocated by Mexican Foreign Minister
Marcelo Ebrard Marcelo Luis Ebrard Casaubón (; born 10 October 1959) is a Mexicans, Mexican politician who has served as the Secretariat of Economy, secretary of economy since 2024. He previously served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs (Mexico), Secretary of ...
when he paid a visit to Spain. During his visit, Ebrard announced that Mexico will participate in Phase 3 of the Spanish project for a vaccine against
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
. In addition, Ebrard announced that Spain made the decision to share vaccines with other countries in
Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
and the
Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
. In February 2022, Mexican president López Obrador proposed a "pause" in the bilateral relations between both countries, in light of alleged mispractices of Spanish companies in Mexico during previous administrations. The Spanish Government issued a notice categorically rejecting the offences against Spain and Spanish companies, arguing that both countries are "strategic partners" while noting that the Spanish government wishes for "relations based on mutual respect". In March 2022, the Spanish Foreign Minister
José Manuel Albares José Manuel Albares Bueno (; born 22 March 1972) is a Spanish politician and diplomat who has been serving as Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Spain), Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation in the government of Prime Minister o ...
traveled to Mexico and together with the Mexican Foreign Minister, Marcelo Ebrard, both countries have agreed to “accelerate the relationship” between the two countries instead of taking a pause as requested in February 2022 by President López Obrador. During the meeting, the two foreign ministers signed four agreements on political, cultural, scientific and cooperation in the rights of women.


High-level visits

Presidential visits from Mexico to Spain * President
José López Portillo José Guillermo Abel López Portillo y Pacheco (; 16 June 1920 – 17 February 2004) was a Mexican writer, lawyer, and politician affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) who served as the 58th president of Mexico from 1976 ...
(1977) * President
Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado (; 12 December 1934 – 1 April 2012) was a Mexican politician affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) who served as the 59th president of Mexico from 1982 to 1988. Inheriting a severe economic an ...
(1985) * President
Carlos Salinas de Gortari Carlos Salinas de Gortari (; born 3 April 1948) is a Mexicans, Mexican economist, historían and former politician who served as the 60th president of Mexico from 1988 to 1994. Considered the frontman of Mexican Neoliberalism by formulating, p ...
(1992) * President
Ernesto Zedillo Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León (; born 27 December 1951) is a Mexican economist and politician. He was the 61st president of Mexico from 1994 to 2000, as the last of the uninterrupted 71-year line of Mexican presidents from the Institutional Re ...
(1996, 2000) * President
Vicente Fox Vicente Fox Quesada (; born 2 July 1942) is a Mexican businessman and politician who served as the 62nd president of Mexico from 2000 to 2006. After campaigning as a Right-wing populism, right-wing populist, Fox was elected president on the Nat ...
(2001, 2002, 2005, 2006) * President
Felipe Calderón Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa (; born 18 August 1962) is a Mexican politician and lawyer who served as the 63rd president of Mexico from 2006 to 2012 and Secretary of Energy during the presidency of Vicente Fox between 2003 and 2004. ...
(2007, 2008, 2010, 2012) * President
Enrique Peña Nieto Enrique Peña Nieto (; born 20 July 1966), commonly referred to by his initials EPN, is a Mexican former politician and lawyer who was the 64th president of Mexico from 2012 to 2018. A member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), he p ...
(2014, 2018) Royal and Prime Ministerial visits from Spain to Mexico * Prime Minister
Adolfo Suárez Adolfo Suárez González, 1st Duke of Suárez (; 25 September 1932 – 23 March 2014) was a Spanish lawyer and politician. Suárez was Spain's first democratically elected Prime Minister of Spain, prime minister since the Second Spanish Republi ...
(1977) * King
Juan Carlos I of Spain Juan Carlos I (; Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 November 1975 until Abdication of Juan Carlos I, his abdic ...
(1978, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1997, 2002) * Queen Sofía of Spain (1983, 1985, 2000) * Prime Minister
Felipe González Felipe González Márquez (; born 5 March 1942) is a retired Spanish politician who was Prime Minister of Spain from 1982 to 1996 and leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party from 1974 to 1997. He is the longest-serving democratically- ...
(1985, 1987, 1991) * King (and as Prince)
Felipe VI of Spain Felipe VI (; Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Grecia; born 30 January 1968) is King of Spain. In accordance with the Spanish Constitution, as monarch, he is head of state and commander-in-chief of the Spanish Armed For ...
(1991, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018) * Prime Minister
José María Aznar José María Alfredo Aznar López (; born 25 February 1953) is a Spanish politician who was the prime minister of Spain from 1996 to 2004. He led the People's Party (Spain), People's Party (PP), the dominant centre-right political party in Spai ...
(1996, 2001, 2002, 2003) * Prime Minister
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (; born 4 August 1960) is a Spanish politician and member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). He was the Prime Minister of Spain being elected for two terms, in the 2004 and 2008 general elections. O ...
(2004, 2007) * Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy Brey (April and June 2012, 2014) * Queen
Letizia of Spain Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano (; born 15 September 1972) is Queen of Spain as the wife of King Felipe VI. Letizia was born in Oviedo, Asturias. She worked as a journalist for ''ABC'' and EFE before becoming a news anchor at CNN+ and Televisión E ...
(2017) * Prime Minister
Pedro Sánchez Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón (; born 29 February 1972) is a Spanish politician who has served as Prime Minister of Spain since 2018. He has also been Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) since July 2017, having p ...
(2019) File:Carmen Romano (15).jpg, President José López Portillo and his wife with King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía in Madrid, October 1977. File:Felipe González pasea con presidente de México. Pool Moncloa. 15 de julio de 1989.jpeg, President Carlos Salinas de Gortari and Prime Minister Felipe González in Madrid, 1989. File:Reunión con Zapatero y Calderón en Nueva York.jpg, Presidente Felipe Calderón, Argentine President Cristina Fernández and Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero in New York, 2009. File:Cumbre del G20 en Los Cabos, México.jpg, President Felipe Calderón and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in Los Cabos, 2012. File:Viaje de Estado del Rey de España a México (2015) (8).jpg, King Felipe VI and President Enrique Peña Nieto in Mexico City, 2015. File:Enrique Peña Nieto and Mariano Rajoy at the 2017 G-20 Hamburg summit (3).jpg, President Enrique Peña Nieto and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in Hamburg, 2017. File:VisitaoficialMexicoEspaña (2).jpg, President Enrique Peña Nieto and King Felipe VI in Madrid, 2018. File:Pedro Sánchez visita México 08.jpg, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in Mexico City, 2019.


Bilateral agreements

Over the years, both nations have signed numerous bilateral agreements and treaties such as an Agreement on Scientific and Technical Cooperation (1977); Agreement on the elimination of visas (1977); Agreement on Cultural and Educational Cooperation (1978); Agreement on Nuclear Energy Cooperation for peaceful purposes (1979); Air Transportation Agreement (1979); Agreement on Economic and Commercial Cooperation (1980); Extradition Treaty (1984); Agreement on the Avoidance of Double-Taxation (1984); Tourism Agreement (1996); Agreement on the Promotion and Protection of Investments (1997); Agreement on Cooperation between the
Bank of Mexico The Bank of Mexico (), abbreviated ''BdeM'' or ''Banxico,'' is Mexico's central bank, monetary authority and lender of last resort. The Bank of Mexico is autonomous in exercising its functions, and its main objective is to achieve stability in th ...
and
Bank of Spain The Bank of Spain (, ) is the national central bank for Spain within the Eurosystem. It was the Spanish central bank from 1874 to 1998, issuing the peseta. Since 2014, it has also been Spain's national competent authority within European Banki ...
(2014) and an Agreement on Cooperation against Organized Crime (2014).


Transport

There are direct flights between Mexico and Spain through the following airlines:
Aeroméxico Aerovías de México, S.A. de C.V. () operating as Aeroméxico (; styled as AM), is the flag carrier of Mexico based in Mexico City. It operates scheduled services to more than 90 destinations in Mexico, North, South and Central America, the Ca ...
,
Air Europa Air Europa Líneas Aéreas, S.A.U., branded as Air Europa, is the third-largest Spain, Spanish airline after Iberia (airline), Iberia and Vueling. The airline is headquartered in Llucmajor, Mallorca, Spain; it has its main hub at Adolfo Suárez M ...
,
Iberia The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, compri ...
, Iberojet,
Wamos Air Wamos Air, formerly named Pullmantur Air, is a Spanish charter airline headquartered in Madrid. It mostly operates leisure charter flights from its main base at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport and also operates aircraft for other entities ...
and World2Fly. The Madrid-Mexico City flight route, operated by Iberia and Aeroméxico, is the busiest transatlantic flight departing Latin America.


Cultural cooperation

Both countries have established cultural centers in their respective capitals in order to promote the development of both Mexico and Spain, through greater knowledge of both nations in
cultural Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...
,
business Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or Trade, buying and selling Product (business), products (such as goods and Service (economics), services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for ...
,
entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value in ways that generally entail beyond the minimal amount of risk (assumed by a traditional business), and potentially involving values besides simply economic ones. An entrepreneu ...
,
tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...
,
gastronomic Gastronomy is the study of the relationship between food and culture, the art of preparing and serving rich or delicate and appetizing food, the cooking styles of particular regions, and the science of good eating. One who is well versed in gastr ...
, and
community development The United Nations defines community development as "a process where community members come together to take collective action and generate solutions to common problems." It is a broad concept, applied to the practices of civic leaders, activist ...
issues. Spain is the European country with which Mexico has traditionally held the largest
academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...
exchange. Both countries actively promote the
Spanish language Spanish () or Castilian () is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family that evolved from the Vulgar Latin spoken on the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. Today, it is a world language, gl ...
as a symbol of common identity and heritage. In 2015, the kings of Spain witnessed the signing of an agreement between the
National Autonomous University of Mexico The National Autonomous University of Mexico (, UNAM) is a public university, public research university in Mexico. It has several campuses in Mexico City, and many others in various locations across Mexico, as well as a presence in nine countri ...
(UNAM), the
Instituto Cervantes Instituto Cervantes (, the Cervantes Institute) is a worldwide nonprofit organization created by the Spanish government in 1991. It is named after Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616), the author of ''Don Quixote'' and perhaps the most important fi ...
and the
University of Salamanca The University of Salamanca () is a public university, public research university in Salamanca, Spain. Founded in 1218 by Alfonso IX of León, King Alfonso IX, it is the oldest university in the Hispanic world and the fourth oldest in the ...
, to implement the National Service for the Evaluation of the Spanish Language (SIELE) in Mexico, which allows accrediting the command and level of Spanish of any user electronically.
Mariachi Mariachi (, , ) is a genre of regional Mexican music dating back to at least the 18th century, evolving over time in the countryside of various regions of western Mexico. The usual mariachi group today consists of as many as eight violins, two ...
and
flamenco Flamenco () is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the Gitanos, gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and Region of Murcia, ...
are two genres of Latin music, recognized as
intangible cultural heritage An intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is a practice, representation, expression, knowledge, or skill considered by UNESCO to be part of a place's cultural heritage. Buildings, historic places, monuments, and artifacts are cultural property. In ...
, being emblems of
Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
and
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
culture respectively. Likewise, they have become popular among the societies of both countries with the exchange of music and dance artists. In May 2022, the Mexican Congress installed a friendship group with Spain. The president of the group, deputy Anuar Roberto Azuar of the PAN, described as "necessary and timely" the meeting with the Spanish ambassador, Juan López-Doriga Pérez, who went to the Lower House of Congress to sign the agreement. In the same month, within the framework of the celebration of the 45th anniversary of the reestablishment of relations between the two countries, Mexico reinforced cultural promotion and academic cooperation with Spain. In addition, in October, the Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, Carmen Moreno Toscano, made a working visit to Spain with the aim of expanding the "key" political dialogue between the two countries and stressed that the bilateral relationship is "broad, solid and dynamic, for the bonds of friendship and the desire for cooperation between the two countries”, and "which is extremely rich, not only because of our common history and culture, but also because of our commercial and human exchanges". Descendants of Aztec royalty live in Spain and retain
titles of nobility Traditional rank amongst European imperiality, royalty, peers, and nobility is rooted in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Although they vary over time and among geographic regions (for example, one region's prince might be equal to anothe ...
. In May 2022, the Mexican archaeologist responsible for the excavation of
Tenochtitlan , also known as Mexico-Tenochtitlan, was a large Mexican in what is now the historic center of Mexico City. The exact date of the founding of the city is unclear, but the date 13 March 1325 was chosen in 1925 to celebrate the 600th annivers ...
,
Eduardo Matos Moctezuma Eduardo Matos Moctezuma (born December 11, 1940)  is a Mexican archaeologist. From 1978 to 1982 he directed excavations at the Templo Mayor, the remains of a major Aztec pyramid in central Mexico City. Matos Moctezuma graduated with a ma ...
, was distinguished with the Princess of Asturias Award for Social Sciences and argued that both countries should further strengthen their relations. Likewise, in October, he stated that "Spain and Mexico are linked by indissoluble ties" and that "they must move towards a promising future". Since June 2022, the Group of
World Heritage World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
Cities of Spain and the National Association of Mexican World Heritage Cities have agreed to strengthen their relations with the aim of promoting mutual cooperation and the exchange of information, experiences and good practices in matters related to the defense of
heritage Heritage may refer to: History and society * A heritage asset A heritage asset is an item which has value because of its contribution to a nation's society, knowledge and/or culture. Such items are usually physical assets, but some countries also ...
, culture, and tourism promotion. This agreement has been reflected in the signing of a letter of intent signed by the president of the Group of World Heritage Cities of Spain, Carlos García Carbayo, and the president of the Mexican association, Loredana Montes, after holding a meeting that they have kept in the headquarters of the Historic Center Trust of Mexico City. In 2022, it was the 40th anniversary of the signing of the twinning between the city of
Guadalajara Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...
in Castilla-La Mancha (Spain) and the corresponding
Guadalajara Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...
in
Jalisco Jalisco, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in western Mexico and is bordered by s ...
(Mexico). Likewise, the twinning of the city of
Valladolid Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...
in
Castile and León Castile and León is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in northwestern Spain. Castile and León is the largest autonomous community in Spain by area, covering 94,222 km2. It is, however, sparsely populated, with a pop ...
(Spain) with its counterpart
Valladolid Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...
in
Yucatán Yucatán, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Yucatán, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, constitute the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It comprises 106 separate municipalities, and its capital city is Mérida. ...
(Mexico) was established, so that both cities have been linked institutionally, promoting human contact and the cultural ties of each culture. In February 2023, the twinning of the Sanctuaries dedicated to the
Virgin of Guadalupe Our Lady of Guadalupe (), also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe (), is a Catholic Church, Catholic Titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with four Marian apparitions to Juan Diego and one to his uncle, J ...
in Mexico and Spain was signed.


Drug trafficking

In 2012, four suspected members of Mexican drug cartel
Sinaloa Sinaloa (), officially the (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 18 municipalities, and its capital city is Culiacán Rosales. It is located in northwest Mexic ...
were arrested in Spain, while allegedly trying to set up a European operation. In 2013, the head of the Spanish Drugs and Organized Crime Unit (known as Udyco) believed that the Mexican drug cartels had set out to “conquer” Spain and not forge an alliance with Colombian drug organizations. In 2017, Spanish police extradited Juan Manuel Muñoz Luévano, suspected of carrying out operations for Mexican drugs cartel
los Zetas Los Zetas (, Spanish for "The Zs") is a Mexican criminal syndicate and designated terrorist organization, known as one of the most dangerous of Mexico's drug cartels. They are known for engaging in brutally violent " shock and awe" tactics suc ...
in Spain, to the United States.


Trade relations

In 1997, Mexico signed a
Free Trade Agreement A free trade agreement (FTA) or treaty is an agreement according to international law to form a free-trade area between the cooperating state (polity), states. There are two types of trade agreements: Bilateralism, bilateral and Multilateralism, m ...
with the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
, of which Spain is a member. In 2023, two-way trade between both nations amounted to US$7.4 billion. Mexico's exports to Spain include: crude oil, medicine, alcohol, fish and mobile phones; while Spanish exports to Mexico include: vehicles, vehicle parts and wine. Mexico is Spain's biggest trading partner in Latin America. Several prominent Spanish multinational companies operate in Mexico, such as:
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. (), better known by its initialism BBVA, is a Spanish multinational financial services company based in Bilbao, with operative offices in Madrid. It is one of the largest financial institutions in the world, ...
,
Mapfre Mapfre, S.A. (, officially typeset MAPFRE) is a Spanish multinational insurance company, based in Majadahonda, Madrid. The name comes from the old mutual origin of the company (''Mutualidad de la Agrupación de Propietarios de Fincas Rústica ...
, Santander,
Telefónica , S.A. () is a Spanish multinational telecommunications company with registered office and headquarters located in two different places, both in Madrid, Spain. It is one of the largest telephone operators and mobile network providers in the ...
and
Zara Zara may refer to: Businesses * Zara (retailer), a fashion retail company based in Spain * Zara Investment Holding, a Jordanian holding company * Continental Hotel Zara, Budapest, Hungary People and fictional characters * Zara (name), primari ...
; while several multinational Mexican companies operate in Spain, such as:
ALFA Alfa may refer to: Businesses and organisations Broadcasting * Alfa Radio, a Macedonian radio station * XHFAJ-FM, a Mexico City radio station better known as Alfa 91.3 * Alfa TV (Cypriot TV channel), a premium television service available in ...
,
Cemex CEMEX S.A.B. de C.V., known as Cemex, is a Mexican multinational building materials company headquartered in San Pedro, near Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. It manufactures and distributes cement, ready-mix concrete and aggregates in more than ...
,
Gruma Gruma, S.A.B. de C.V., known as Gruma, is a Mexican multinational corn flour (masa) and tortilla manufacturing company headquartered in San Pedro, near Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. It is the largest corn flour and tortilla manufacturer in ...
,
Grupo Bimbo Grupo Bimbo, S.A.B. de C.V. (also known simply as Bimbo) is a Mexican multinational food company with a presence in over 33 countries located in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa. It has an annual sales volume of 15 billion dollars and is ...
and Softtek (among others).


Resident diplomatic missions

* Mexico has an embassy in
Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
and a consulate in
Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
. * Spain has an embassy and a consulate-general in
Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
and consulates-general in
Guadalajara Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...
and
Monterrey Monterrey (, , abbreviated as MtY) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León. It is the ninth-largest city and the second largest metropolitan area, after Greater Mexico City. Located at the foothills of th ...
. File:Madrid - Embajada de México.jpg, Embassy of Mexico in Madrid File:180 Casa Muley Afid, Consolat de Mèxic, pg. de la Bonanova 55 (Barcelona).jpg, Consulate of Mexico in Barcelona File:Embajada de España en Ciudad de México.jpg, Embassy of Spain in Mexico City File:Consulado-General de España en Ciudad de México2.jpg, Consulate-General of Spain in Mexico City File:Altusgdl.jpg, Building hosting the Consulate-General of Spain in Guadalajara


See also

* Centro Cultural de España en México *
Embassy of Mexico, Madrid The Embassy of Mexico in Spain, based out of Madrid, is the primary diplomatic mission from the Mexico, United Mexican States to the Spain, Kingdom of Spain. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1836, 15 years after t ...
*
Mexican immigration to Spain Mexican immigration to Spain refers to the Mexican population in Spain and their Spanish-born descendants. The Mexicans living in Spain are composed primarily of students, skilled professionals, spouses of Spaniards, as well as Mexican citizens wh ...
*
Spanish immigration to Mexico Spanish Mexicans are citizens or residents of Mexico who identify as Spanish as a result of nationality or recent ancestry. Spanish immigration to Mexico began in the early 1500s and spans to the present day. The vast majority of Mexicans have ...


References


External links


Mexican Ministry of foreign Affairs on diplomatic relations between Mexico and Spain (in Spanish)

Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on bilateral relations with Mexico (in Spanish)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mexico-Spain relations
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
Bilateral relations of Spain Relations of colonizer and former colony