Javier Milei arrived after the summit’s opening ceremony and royal gala, then addressed its plenary in Madrid on 5 November with a prepared speech. The Argentine president attacked socialism and progressive agendas, but stopped short of the personal insults against Pedro Sánchez that some had feared. The gathering was the XXX Ibero-American Summit, the 30th meeting of the process, held on 4-5 November and involving a bloc of 22 countries.
Milei argued that socialism and fascism share a reliance on state control. Citing Spanish writer and diplomat Salvador de Madariaga, he said the two ideologies concentrate decisions in the hands of a minority and use economic dependence as a means of political control. He summed up the claim by saying that socialism is fascist in politics and fascism socialist in economics. He also accused both of opposing free markets while backing state intervention, including nationalisation and regulation. He said they use media control to spread propaganda and indoctrination.
His remarks targeted social democracy rather than communist regimes. Milei said the ideas remained present in agendas described as progressive, which were gaining ground in Europe. Sánchez, who has led the Socialist International since 2022, did not respond to the speech. In his closing remarks, the Spanish prime minister thanked the summit’s participants. The wider agenda included calls for Europe and Latin America to coordinate on artificial intelligence, then speak with a common voice against powers that disregard international law.
The plenary’s restrained response followed an unsettled start to the visit. Milei landed in Madrid on Wednesday afternoon, skipped the opening ceremony at the Teatro Real and the royal gala at the Royal Palace, then went to see Vox leader Santiago Abascal. Seven Latin American presidents were reported among those attending the opening events. At the plenary, Milei and Chilean President José Antonio Kast were identified, as was Guatemala’s Bernardo Arévalo. An earlier report detailed his absence from those events.
Summit organisers had feared the speech could turn into a stream of insults, forcing King Felipe VI to withdraw the floor from the Argentine president. People within the organisation said Milei stuck to his written remarks and avoided a personal attack on Sánchez. During an earlier visit to Madrid on 21 October, he had used personal insults against the Spanish leader.
Instead, Milei praised Felipe VI for keeping the Ibero-American summit a place where governments can work together despite their differences. The King had urged leaders to focus on shared interests and preserve cooperation across political differences. In his closing remarks, he said multilateral diplomacy still had a purpose in a world shaped by rival blocs and competition.
