Ibero-American Summit reaches unanimous agreement despite objections from Javier Milei's Argentina

The 30th Ibero-American Summit, held in Madrid on Thursday, November 5, with the participation of Andorra's Prime Minister Xavier Espot, has concluded with the adoption of a joint 20-point declaration by consensus. 

However, the agreement has exposed significant political differences, particularly involving Argentina's President Javier Milei, whose government rejected several provisions.

All 22 member countries of the Ibero-American Community endorsed the final declaration, although several governments used a formal mechanism known as dissociation to register their disagreement with specific sections.

Argentina submitted the largest number of objections, distancing itself from four paragraphs addressing international relations, artificial intelligence, academic mobility and care policies. It also introduced a clarification concerning the definition of gender.

The outcome marks a change from the 2024 Ibero-American Summit in Cuenca, Ecuador, where disagreements prevented the adoption of a joint declaration by consensus.

Milei's Argentina rejects four sections of the Ibero-American agreement

The Argentine government formally expressed its disagreement with paragraphs 4, 10, 11 and 12 of the declaration.

Paragraph 4 concerns the rejection of coercive measures that violate international law and the United Nations Charter, while the other three address cooperation initiatives promoted during the summit.

Specifically, Argentina dissociated itself from commitments relating to the Ibero-American Artificial Intelligence Alliance, the Ibero-American Charter on Academic Mobility and the Ibero-American Charter on Care and Support.

Milei's government also added an observation regarding the section on equality, specifying that it interprets the concept of gender as referring to the female and male sexes.

These objections did not prevent the declaration from being adopted, as the Ibero-American system allows member countries to express reservations about individual commitments without blocking the overall agreement.

Colombia, Costa Rica and Paraguay also express reservations

Argentina was not the only country to register objections.

Colombia, Costa Rica and Paraguay also dissociated themselves from paragraph 4, which addresses coercive measures contrary to international law.

Paraguay additionally expressed reservations about the Ibero-American Artificial Intelligence Alliance and clarified its position on equality by referring specifically to equal rights for men and women.

Gender-related issues once again emerged as a significant source of disagreement among Ibero-American governments, as they had during the previous summit.

Ibero-American Secretary-General Andrés Allamand played down the significance of these differences, explaining that the dissociation mechanism is an established part of the organisation's decision-making process.

According to Allamand, the essential achievement was that member countries had reached agreement on the declaration's central principles despite maintaining different positions on particular issues.

Andorra participates in artificial intelligence and civil protection agreements

Among the summit's main outcomes was the adoption of four international cooperation initiatives.

These include the Ibero-American Network for Disaster Risk Reduction and Civil Protection, the Ibero-American Artificial Intelligence Alliance, the Ibero-American Charter on Academic Mobility and the Ibero-American Charter on Care and Support.

The initiatives seek to strengthen cooperation between member countries in technological development, education, emergency management and support for people requiring care.

Andorra's Prime Minister, Xavier Espot, argued during his intervention that artificial intelligence should help reduce social inequalities rather than deepen them.

The Principality will also assume the first rotating term of the technical secretariat of the Ibero-American Network for Disaster Risk Reduction and Civil Protection in 2027.

This will give Andorra a specific role in one of the new cooperation structures established during the Madrid summit.

Pedro Sánchez welcomes the agreement despite Milei's criticism

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez highlighted that all 22 Ibero-American countries were represented at the summit, although only ten heads of state and government attended in person.

The remaining delegations were led by vice presidents or foreign ministers.

Sánchez acknowledged the considerable political differences among participating countries but argued that the declaration demonstrated their ability to reach agreements on shared priorities.

The Spanish leader described the outcome as a success for Ibero-American cooperation and welcomed the initiatives adopted.

However, the summit was also marked by political tensions involving Javier Milei.

The Argentine president delivered one of the meeting's most controversial speeches, drawing a comparison between socialists and fascists.

"The equivalence between socialists and fascists is no coincidence," Milei declared, criticising political approaches that he considers hostile to free markets.

Sánchez subsequently responded that presidents are there to unite people and that insults are not part of his approach to politics.

The differences between the two leaders were reflected both in their public statements and in Argentina's formal reservations about the final declaration.

Fight against organised crime becomes a major summit priority

Security and the expansion of organised crime across Latin America were also prominent issues during the 30th Ibero-American Summit.

Several representatives called for stronger international cooperation to combat criminal organisations and reinforce the capacity of national governments to respond.

One of the strongest interventions came from Costa Rican President Laura Fernández, who called for tougher laws, greater control over prisons and stronger action against activities such as illegal mining.

Fernández also urged closer coordination between countries to tackle transnational criminal networks.

She warned that no Ibero-American country could confront the threat alone.

The final declaration also reaffirmed commitments to multilateralism, respect for national sovereignty, development cooperation, education, equality and stronger democratic institutions.

Falkland Islands dispute included in the summit's discussions

In addition to the main declaration, participating countries adopted several special statements addressing international issues.

Among them was a statement concerning the sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands, known in Argentina as the Malvinas, encouraging dialogue between Argentina and the United Kingdom.

The dispute has long been one of Argentina's principal diplomatic priorities within Ibero-American meetings.

The final declaration also emphasised the importance of the Ibero-American Community maintaining its own voice on the international stage, despite political differences among its members.

A consensus agreement that exposes divisions among the 22 countries

The 30th Ibero-American Summit succeeded in adopting a joint declaration after the previous meeting in 2024 ended without consensus.

Nevertheless, formal unanimity does not mean that every government fully supports all 20 points of the document.

The reservations expressed by Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica and Paraguay illustrate continuing disagreements over international affairs, equality and specific cooperation initiatives.

The dissociation mechanism allowed the wider agreement to move forward without requiring dissenting governments to endorse every provision.

For Andorra, the summit's main outcomes include participation in the new cooperation initiatives and its commitment to assume the first rotating technical secretariat of the Ibero-American civil protection network in 2027.

The Madrid summit therefore concludes with a declaration supported by all 22 countries, while the political objections raised by Javier Milei's Argentina and other governments remain explicitly recorded in the final document.