An audience at the Zarzuela and a signed declaration
Buenos Aires city head Jorge Macri was received on Monday by Spain's King Felipe VI at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid. Together with Madrid mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida, he presented the Ibero-American Declaration of Mayors, a text gathering the priorities of the region's capitals that will be taken to the thirtieth Ibero-American summit of heads of state and government, due in November in Spain.[S1][S2][S4]
The meeting with the monarch stood out among the central moments of the second Ibero-American Cities Meeting, convened by the Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities (UCCI) and the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), the international body that fosters cooperation among the 22 Ibero-American countries and supports the organization of the presidential summits. Macri and Martínez-Almeida led the presentation as this year's co-presidents of the UCCI.[S1][S3][S4]
Signed by both officials as the day closed, the declaration lays out a joint agenda covering urban development, security, innovation and sustainability. Its stated aim is to widen the role cities play in the main international decision-making arenas and to coordinate responses to the challenges facing their residents.[S1][S3][S4]
Macri casts Ibero-America as a bridge between regions
In his opening remarks, Macri argued that cities are not passive onlookers but the first place where global dynamics are felt, which makes their capacity to deliver effective answers essential. He described Ibero-America as a bridge for understanding and cooperation, a region linking Latin America and Europe that, from its Atlantic position, speaks with its own voice in debates shaping the future.[S1][S2][S3]
The Buenos Aires leader also stressed the historical, cultural and human ties binding the region, saying it carries a distinctive connection to Spain and particularly to Madrid. He framed Ibero-America as a community with its own identity and growing strategic weight, and called the present moment a historic chance to project its values as a region of peace and to consolidate global influence.[S1][S3]
After the audience, Macri thanked the king for welcoming the delegation and said it was an honor to present the declaration alongside Martínez-Almeida in their UCCI co-presidency, accompanied by mayors from various cities of the region. He added that the document carries the commitment of the region's cities to the coming summit.[S3][S4]
Technology, heritage and a new alliance
The gathering covered economic development, urban planning, security, climate change and digital transformation. Macri took part in a panel on innovation, data and artificial intelligence in the service of the city, where he shared how Buenos Aires has used new technologies to modernize the state, cut red tape and improve public services.[S1][S3][S4]
Another outcome was Buenos Aires joining the Ibero-America 500+ Alliance, an initiative backed by CAF, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, and by SEGIB. The project brings together cities with a shared historical legacy to promote heritage preservation, the regeneration of urban centers and long-term sustainable development.[S1][S3]
Macri was accompanied by Fulvio Pompeo, secretary general and for international relations, and Ana Ciuti, undersecretary for international relations. Pompeo called the audience a valuable meeting between the king, the city head and the region's mayors, described Buenos Aires and Madrid as two leading references of that bond, and argued that the region's countries should keep acting as a bridge between Europe and America to advance political cooperation and investment as tools for jobs and better living standards.[S1][S2]
