Argentine President Javier Milei drew a comparison between democratic socialism and fascism at the XXX Ibero-American Summit in Madrid, speaking in the presence of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. The remarks came during a summit opened at the Teatro Real, attended by King Felipe VI and Secretary-General Andrés Allamand. Milei and Sánchez exchanged a cold greeting, a detail that drew attention in Spanish political circles and underlined the tension between the two leaders.
In his own address, Sánchez called on Ibero-American states to act with ambition despite the divisions currently running through the region. He criticized unilateralism in international relations and cited Canada as a country moving closer to Europe, a reference that framed his argument for multilateral cooperation. The contrast with Milei's speech was hard to miss, since the two leaders set out sharply different visions of the region's future.
The summit unfolded against a domestic backdrop in Spain. Investigators from the UCO unit of the Guardia Civil carried out raids linked to the so-called Koldo case, which concerns the Transport Ministry. The probe examines alleged rigging of public contracts during the period when José Luis Ábalos led the ministry. Judge Ismael Moreno opened a secret sub-case after receiving the UCO report, a step that widened the scope of the investigation.
As part of the operation, officers searched Ábalos's home in Valencia. The property had already been searched in June 2025, which means investigators have returned to the same address more than once. Investigators are also studying whether a money-laundering offence may apply, according to the reporting, although no charge on that point has been confirmed.
Among those detained was Cristian Corvillo, a former driver of Sánchez, who was arrested in Córdoba. Corvillo is allegedly linked to the businessman Víctor de Aldama and to a possible benefit of up to €100,000. Reporting indicates he was an acquaintance of Koldo across several trips between 2019 and 2021, a pattern that investigators are examining. Corvillo has denied knowing the final client in the La Alcaidesa villa operation. His role in the alleged arrangements has not been confirmed by the courts, and the presumption of innocence applies to all those under investigation.
The political fallout was immediate. Ester Muñoz, of the opposition Partido Popular, called for Sánchez to be removed from government, arguing that the case reflects on the administration as a whole. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the PP leader, confirmed his attendance at a debate scheduled for 26 November, a date that will put the corruption allegations at the center of the campaign agenda. The developments come in a wider context of electoral calendar and government restructuring reported in recent weeks, with the 11 November election date shaping the political debate and the positioning of parties ahead of the vote.