Iberoamerican news: presidential debate in Mexico, Spain withdraws its ambassador to Argentina, Uruguay declares flood emergency

Marina Vanni

Third and last presidential debate in Mexico

This Sunday, May 19, the last debate of the presidential candidates before the June 2 elections was broadcast.

The discussion between Claudia Sheinbaum, from the Morena party; Xóchitl Gálvez, from the PAN-PRI-PRD coalition; and Jorge Álvarez Máynez, an independent aspirant, had four main topics: social policy, insecurity and organized crime, democracy and pluralism, and migration and foreign policy.

Security was a heated point of discussion. While Sheinbaum defended the administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and highlighted achievements such as the drop in intentional homicides during her time as mayor of the capital city, her rival Gálvez accused the current administration of "handing the country over to organized crime".

Diplomatic tension: Spain recalls its ambassador to Argentina

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Iberian nation, José Manuel Albares, confirmed on Tuesday, May 21, the withdrawal of its diplomatic representative in Buenos Aires following the remarks made by the Argentine president, Javier Milei.

The president refused to apologize to the head of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, after calling his wife "corrupt". Sánchez’s partner, Begoña Gómez, had been denounced for alleged corruption. The investigation led the chief executive to suspend his schedule for a few days and to consider resigning from his post.

Milei criticized Sánchez and his wife in a meeting managed by the Vox party in Madrid last Sunday. In response to these statements, the President of the Spanish Government called on the Argentinean president to rectify his position.

Uruguay declares agricultural emergency due to floods

By means of a decree, the government of Luis Lacalle Pou decreed an agricultural emergency for 120 days as from this Tuesday, May 21, due to the heavy floods affecting the southeast of the country.

The decision, endorsed by the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries, allows the use of the Agricultural Emergency Fund to assist producers affected by the crisis. The declaration of emergency comes after another declaration of the same caliber, but due to drought.

Author: Marina Vanni