Bombay Durpun - Spanish king to visit Mexican president on June 25 as ties improve

Felipe "will make a stopover in Mexico City on Thursday, June 25 to accept the invitation of President Sheinbaum and hold a bilateral meeting in the National Palace", the palace said in a statement.

The monarch will then continue to Guadalajara where he will attend Spain's World Cup group-stage match against Uruguay the following day, the palace said.

Diplomatic relations had been strained since 2019, when Mexico demanded that the Spanish crown apologise for abuses committed during the conquest and colonisation of the Americas in the 16th century.

Sheinbaum excluded the king from her inauguration in October 2024 partly because Spain had not responded to the demand.

Tensions have eased since the king in March acknowledged that there had been "a lot of abuse" during the conquest of the Americas.

Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said improving ties with Mexico is a priority for his government, adding there was "light and shadow" in the countries' shared history.

Mesoamerica, a region that comprised parts of Mexico and Central America, had an estimated population of 15 million to 30 million people when Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes arrived in 1519.

After a century of battles, massacres, and plagues, only an estimated one million to two million Indigenous inhabitants remained.

One of the favourites for the tournament hosted in Canada, Mexico and the United States, Spain began their campaign with a shock 0-0 draw against minnows Cape Verde on Monday.

X.Badami--BD