Spain Rejects Polisario Front’s Observer Status at Ibero-American Summit

"President Petro has the right to say what he thinks, but there is a whole procedure for recognized States to become observer members," said José Manuel Albares, at a press conference, reacting to the Colombian president’s proposal to grant observer status to the Ibero-American summits to African countries linked for various reasons to Latin America, including the "Sahrawi nation" which he considers a victim of an "injustice".

"It’s a matter of form, but obviously also political," stressed the Colombian president, who made these statements before the plenary session, in the presence of King Felipe VI and the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sanchez. To obtain observer status, 22 members of the Ibero-American Conference must be in favor of the request from the country concerned, which must undertake to respect the values and principles of the Conference.

The "Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR)" is recognized as a State by 80 countries in the world, and by 16 of the 19 Latin American countries participating in the Ibero-American Summit, according to the list published on the Polisario Front’s website. It should be noted that Morocco has been an observer country of the Ibero-American Summit since 2010.