The tension between Sanchez and Milei was reflected in the Ibero-American Summit

Milei, who visited Spain for the eighth time since taking office in December 2023, did not hold a bilateral meeting with Sanchez as in his previous visits.

Milei, who did not attend the opening gala of the summit last night, met with Santiago Abascal, the leader of the far-right Vox party in Spain.

Milei and Sanchez came together for the first time before the leaders' meeting, when King Felipe VI of Spain, Prime Minister Sanchez and Ibero-American Secretary General Andres Allamand welcomed the leaders at the entrance of the hall.

It was seen that Argentinian President Milei behaved very coldly when shaking hands with Sanchez.

Milei equated socialism and fascism

In his speech at the meeting, Milei equated socialism and fascism and said, "Socialism is fascist in politics, while fascism is socialist in economy. Both doctrines concentrate the control of individual decisions in the hands of a minority and turn economic dependence into a tool of political domination." he said.

Milei argued that both ideologies are against the free market, advocate state intervention, nationalize companies, and make propaganda by controlling the media.

Praising the right-wing leaders who won the recent elections in Chile, Colombia and Peru, Milei said, "These elections triggered a democratic revolt against the abuse of power and showed that the liberal spirit is still alive. Argentina also showed that such progress is possible." he said.

Sanchez calls for dialogue, cooperation and peace

Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez drew attention to the increasing conflicts and tensions in the world, the questioning of international law and common rules, and the distrust that threatens cooperation between countries.

"Instead of retreating into differences and surrendering to an increasingly divided world, we must focus on dialogue, cooperation and a commitment to peace." Sanchez said, "Dialogue instead of imposition, cooperation instead of division and peace instead of violence." gave his message.

Ibero-American Secretary General Allamand also stated that the summit achieved its goals despite the fact that regional countries such as Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela were not represented at the level of head of state or government, and said, "We believe that the goals set with the active participation of 22 member countries were achieved." he said.

Allamand stated that member countries continue to prioritize knowledge, culture and social harmony, and that they are open to joint work in areas such as ensuring economic growth to reduce poverty and protecting public security against international organized crime.

Tension between two leaders

Milei, who has made insulting statements towards Sanchez in the past, last described the Spanish Prime Minister as a "dictator" at a meeting he attended in Madrid in October.

The Spanish government condemned Milei, considering these words "shameful" and "unbecoming".

During Milei's last visit, he said to the headquarters of the Socialist Workers' Party in Madrid, which Sanchez leads, "Hello Milei, male leftists and female leftists welcome you to Spain. The country with the highest economic growth in Europe." A banner that read:

Sanchez also said at the rallies, "Yes, I am a leftist and I am proud of it." highlighted his message.