Ibero-American summit begins in Ecuador due to absence of regional leaders

Ecuador is hosting an Ibero-American summit in the city of Cuenca this Thursday and Friday, at which all the great regional leaders will be absent, although King Felipe VI will be in attendance. The event has not managed to convene a single Latin American president, not even those who confirmed their attendance a few weeks ago. The host, President Daniel Noboa, earned the enmity of many of them after the attack on the Mexican Embassy in Quito, a violation of international law for which there is little precedent. Furthermore, it is evident that this summit, created in 1991 to strengthen relations between Latin America and Spain, has been weakening over the years.

Felipe VI was the main personality of the event, which the Spanish President, Pedro Sánchez, could not attend due to the hurricane that hit Spain and killed more than 200 people in Valencia – his replacement was the Minister of Foreign Relations, Jesús Alberes. The Colombian Gustavo Petro has faced a similar panorama in Chocó, a region of the country, to which Noboa and he associate a lack of empathy towards each other. The participation of Claudia Sheinbaum, Nicolás Maduro and Daniel Ortega did not enter any pool – Venezuela, Mexico and Nicaragua have severed ties with Ecuador.

More surprising is the fear that El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele and Argentina’s Javier Meili, who may feel ideologically closer to Noboa, will soon resign to campaign for presidential elections in February. Miley chose to go to a conservative summit in the United States; While Bukele has not given any explanation – he has sent Vice President Felix Ulloa on his behalf. It may have been a domino effect – few people want to be photographed at a failed summit – or he was upset by a New Yorker report, signed by John Lee Anderson, in which Ngoboa described Bukele as “arrogant” and downplayed his importance. Because it dictates the shape of the country, which is somewhat similar to Ecuador’s regions.

The Ibero-American summit, in its 29th edition, coincides with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum, which is held in Lima. United States President Joe Biden will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping there on Saturday. Peruvian President Dina Bolwart and Chile’s Gabriel Boric preferred to attend it over Ecuador’s President. If we take into account that the last Ibero-American summit held in the Dominican Republic was attended by 16 heads of state, the presence of leaders was very low.

Apart from the King, another important presence is the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. Both reached Ecuador city on Wednesday. On Thursday, foreign ministers or representatives of almost all Ibero-American countries held a meeting about which there are no further details, not even the names of the participants. It was chaired by Ecuador’s Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld.

Ngoba intervened at the opening of the summit, saying that, finding himself at the head of the country at a very delicate moment in history, he was sacrificing himself: “I dedicate my life and that of my family, to peace. I am doing it.” My family, to succeed in that mission.” Noboa, through his father, owned Ecuador’s largest fortune based on banana exports. The Ibero-American Secretary-General, Andrés Allamand of Chile, said in the summit’s opening speech that the event had been “successful” and thanked Noboa and Sommerfeld for organizing it in a city like Cuenca, recognized as a cultural heritage site by UNESCO. . Humanity.

“The idea of ​​fraternal meeting between people is, perhaps, more important than ever in this time of fragmentation and opposition. The Ibero-American meeting allows us to distinguish ourselves in a world in which conflicts are increasing, threats loom and injustice persists. The Ibero-American meeting itself allows solidarity and cooperation between our countries on both sides of the Atlantic, Allamand said.

The Secretary-General did not avoid one of the big problems facing the continent and Ecuador in particular: security. For three years, the Andean country’s institutions have been tested by gangs that, together with drug cartels, have gained immense power, with which they have expanded insecurity and crime throughout the region. Ecuador has become one of the leading pharmaceutical exporters in the world. In fact, Paraguayan President Santiago Peña excused his absence for security reasons.

“Insecurity has become the main concern in many countries, undermining citizens’ trust in democracy and the state, and worse, among themselves. According to projections, economic growth will not reach the pace that will create opportunities, lift people out of poverty and provide prospects for a better future. “Latin America faces a new lost decade,” Allamand said.

Following his election in November last year, Noboa reached very high levels of popularity, leading to speculation that his victory in the 2025 presidential elections would allow him to combat organized crime with the military, making him more popular among civilians. Got benefit. Killings declined, but violence has reemerged over time. Along with this, Ecuador is facing a huge energy crisis, due to which the population remains without electricity for 8 to 12 hours a day.