Chilean President Kast Urges Measurable Progress at Madrid Summit

Chilean President José Antonio Kast called on regional leaders to move past mere declarations and provide measurable outcomes for their citizens, Latin Times reported. He made the remarks during the 30th Ibero-American Summit in Madrid, Spain. Africanews noted that the summit hosted a 22-nation bloc, while Demócrata reported that Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez held a bilateral meeting with President Kast on the sidelines of the event. [1][2][3]

During his address, President Kast highlighted a recent diplomatic thaw with Bolivia, which marked the first visit by a Chilean president to La Paz in 71 years, according to Latin Times. He also signaled ongoing engagement with Venezuela under acting president Delcy Rodríguez. Furthermore, Chile officially submitted its bid to host the Executive Secretariat of the High Seas Treaty in the port city of Valparaíso. [1]

Other regional leaders took part in activities around the summit in Madrid. MercoPress reported that Argentine President Javier Milei skipped the opening of the summit to meet with Santiago Abascal. Meanwhile, Spanien Press reported that King Felipe VI received four Latin American heads of state in Madrid ahead of the summit gathering. [4][5]

José Antonio Kast has served as the 38th president of Chile since 2026. Prior to assuming the presidency, he served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 2002 to 2018, representing districts in the Santiago Metropolitan Region. [6]

If the bid for Valparaíso is successful, Latin Times reported that the Chilean port city would become the home to the first United Nations body of universal membership based in Latin America. [1]