The Ibero-American Summit in Madrid will take place at a crucial moment for the geopolitics of the Western Hemisphere, which is trying to define a recognizable space of its own. In this sense, Spain has a lot at stake in this conclave. The report ‘Ibero-America 2026’, presented yesterday at Casa América by the Fundación Alternativas, delves into the moment the continent is going through and the steps it must take to build its own space.
In 2026, five electoral processes, presidential or legislative, will take place in Latin America; on the other hand, the day before the summit begins, the ‘midterm’ elections in the United States will also take place. All of this will have a direct or indirect influence on the prospects of the Ibero-American community in an increasingly complicated world.
Therefore —as pointed out by the director of the Foreign Policy Observatory of the Fundación Alternativas, Vicente Palacio, during the presentation of the Ibero-America 2026 Report— it may be the moment of the XXX Ibero-American Summit in Madrid, a meeting whose aspiration is the construction of a stronger Ibero-American Community with greater projection.
In an international present marked by fragmentation and polarization, Spain assumes for the fourth time the celebration of a difficult summit, after Madrid (1992), Salamanca (2005), and Cádiz (2012).
The meeting takes place in a context of serious crisis of multilateralism and disruptions of the international order. Trade wars and protectionism; crisis of development cooperation; proliferation of armed conflicts; or fierce competition between the United States, China, Russia, Europe, and other emerging powers.
All of this forces a new reflection on the meaning and role, present and future, of Ibero-America, and its strategic opportunity.
The presentation was attended, among others, by the authors of the report —Vicente Palacio, Francisco J. Verdes-Montenegro Escánez, Lucía Benavídez, Ramiro Lapeña, Emilio Santiago Muíño, José Miguel Natera, Beatriz Paredes, Ana Paula Penchaszadeh, Cristina De Benito Morán—, the ibero-American secretary general, Andrés Allamand; and Luis Romera, representing the cabinet of the director general for Ibero-America and the Caribbean.
The present Report aims to redefine the margin of the Ibero-American space – where Community, System, Conference, Summit converge – to build consensus on key issues: digital, green, or social. Even to advance in new cooperation agendas: migrations and diasporas, funds for natural disasters, or care policies. The Report offers analysis and proposals on these issues, with a particular focus on the challenges for Spain as the host country of the Summit.