Chilean President José Antonio Kast landed on Monday, November 2, at the Torrejón de Ardoz Air Base in Madrid to begin his first tour of Europe as head of state. The trip includes political meetings in Spain, a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, an audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican and the 30th Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, held in Madrid on November 4 and 5, according to CNN Chile and Emol.
The Air Force plane landed at 12:56 Madrid time (08:56 in Chile) after a twelve-hour flight and a refuelling stop in the Canary Islands, Emol reported. T13 said the aircraft had brake problems on landing and that firefighters and base technicians worked on the tarmac; the President spoke to the press without mentioning the incident. The tour comes amid the crisis over the sentence reductions for convicted sex offenders, which led opposition lawmakers to ask him to cancel the trip.
Kast's agenda in Europe, day by day
Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna summed up the goal of the trip in a video released on Sunday: "We want to attract projects that create jobs. We want to put Chile on the world's radar," CNN Chile quoted. This is the agenda known at the time of publication:
| Day | Place | Activity | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, November 2 | Madrid | Arrival at Torrejón; meeting with Santiago Abascal (Vox) at 14:15 Madrid time; International Medal of the Community of Madrid from Isabel Díaz Ayuso at 17:30; meeting with Alberto Núñez Feijóo (PP), outside the official agenda | Emol, T13 |
| Tuesday, November 3 | Rome | Meeting with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni | Emol |
| Wednesday, November 4 | Vatican | Audience with Pope Leo XIV at 09:00 Rome time (05:00 in Chile) at the Apostolic Palace | CNN Chile |
| November 4 and 5 | Madrid | 30th Ibero-American Summit: opening on Wednesday 4 at the Teatro Real and main leaders' day on Thursday 5 | El Diario de Madrid |
On arrival, Kast also confirmed a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, according to La Tercera; the date had not been announced at the time of writing.
Times may change. The meeting with Feijóo was confirmed by the delegation but was not on the official agenda, according to Emol. Two days after the audience, Pope Leo XIV begins his first apostolic trip to Latin America, which includes Peru and Argentina (see the non-working days for the pope's visit to Peru and the holidays for his visit to Argentina).
The official delegation and special guests
The official delegation includes First Lady María Pía Adriasola; Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna; the Minister Secretary General of the Presidency, José García Ruminot; Chile's ambassador to Spain, Juan Antonio Coloma; the Secretary General for Foreign Policy, Frank Tressler; and the Director General of Ceremonial and Protocol, Óscar Fuentes, Emol reported.
The heads of the other two branches of government travel as special guests: Senate President Paulina Núñez (RN), Chamber of Deputies President Jorge Alessandri (UDI) and Supreme Court President Gloria Ana Chevesich.
| Member | Position |
|---|---|
| María Pía Adriasola | First Lady |
| Francisco Pérez Mackenna | Minister of Foreign Affairs |
| José García Ruminot | Minister Secretary General of the Presidency |
| Juan Antonio Coloma | Ambassador of Chile to Spain |
| Paulina Núñez | President of the Senate (special guest) |
| Jorge Alessandri | President of the Chamber of Deputies (special guest) |
| Gloria Ana Chevesich | President of the Supreme Court (special guest) |
What the Madrid Ibero-American Summit is and who is attending
The 30th Ibero-American Summit brings together the 22 countries of the Ibero-American Community, although not all will be represented by their presidents. Spain holds the pro tempore secretariat and organizes the meeting with the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), headed by Chilean Andrés Allamand. King Felipe VI chairs the summit, whose motto is "Ibero-America. Together we build our Community. Together we project it towards the future and the world," according to CNN Chile and El Diario de Madrid.
Besides Kast, attendance has been confirmed by Javier Milei (Argentina), Rodrigo Paz (Bolivia), Bernardo Arévalo (Guatemala), Santiago Peña (Paraguay), Luis Abinader (Dominican Republic) and Laura Fernández (Costa Rica). Colombia and El Salvador will be represented by their vice presidents.
| Date | Activity | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 3 | Ibero-American Digital Forum and first ministerial meeting on Digital Transformation and AI | Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre |
| Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 | 16th Ibero-American Business Meeting | Las Ventas |
| Wednesday 4 | Foreign ministers' meeting and summit opening (19:00) | Teatro Real |
| Thursday 5 | Main day of heads of State and Government | Gallery of the Royal Collections |
Source: El Diario de Madrid, based on the agendas of the Spanish Senate and the organizers. This edition's topics are an Ibero-American artificial intelligence alliance (still under negotiation), the Ibero-American Charter on Academic Mobility, care systems, disaster response and cooperation from 2027. Pérez Mackenna said Chile will put the emphasis on "security."
How much Chile trades with Spain and Italy
The foreign minister presented the tour as a search for "opportunities for Chile." Trade figures help size up both partners: in 2025 Chile exported US$2.120 billion to Spain and imported US$2.145 billion from it; with Italy, exports totaled US$828 million and imports US$1.622 billion, according to the data Chile reports to the United Nations UN Comtrade database.
| Partner | Exports 2024 | Exports 2025 | Imports 2024 | Imports 2025 | Balance 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | US$1,851 M | US$2,120 M (+14.5%) | US$1,907 M | US$2,145 M (+12.5%) | −US$25 M |
| Italy | US$934 M | US$828 M (−11.4%) | US$1,535 M | US$1,622 M (+5.7%) | −US$794 M |
Source: UN Comtrade, values reported by Chile (FOB exports and CIF imports). M = million dollars. Changes calculated by VIVARAE NEWS. Figures may differ from those of the Central Bank of Chile due to methodology.
Kast's tour amid the crisis over sentence reductions
The trip began amid criticism. Deputy Tamara Ramírez (PDG) said it was "a total disconnect" for the President to travel to Italy during the crisis over the 56 sentence-reduction decrees signed at the Ministry of Justice, and Deputy Ana María Gazmuri (PC) said the political responsibility "lies with President Kast," according to Emol. On Friday, Undersecretary of Justice Luis Silva left his post, and the opposition is preparing a constitutional accusation against Minister Fernando Rabat.
The tour also coincides with a fall in presidential approval: the latest October Cadem poll already showed the lowest point of his government. La Moneda, by contrast, describes it as "a tour with a vision of State," and the presence of the heads of the Senate, the Chamber and the Supreme Court seeks to reinforce that institutional reading.
What to expect from Kast's tour
- In Spain: contacts with the Spanish right in the middle of an election campaign and the International Medal of the Community of Madrid, previously awarded to Javier Milei, Volodymyr Zelensky and Juan Guaidó, according to Emol.
- In Italy: cooperation with a "strategic partner within Europe," in the foreign minister's words.
- At the Vatican: Kast's first audience with Leo XIV as president.
- At the summit: regional security cooperation and the negotiation of the Ibero-American AI alliance.
Frequently asked questions
When does Kast meet Pope Leo XIV?
On Wednesday, November 4, at 09:00 Rome time (05:00 in Chile), at the Apostolic Palace, according to the Foreign Ministry as quoted by CNN Chile.
When is the 2026 Ibero-American Summit?
The 30th Ibero-American Summit takes place in Madrid on November 4 and 5, 2026, with side events from Tuesday 3.
Who is traveling with Kast?
The First Lady, Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna, Minister José García Ruminot and, as special guests, Paulina Núñez, Jorge Alessandri and Gloria Ana Chevesich.
How much does Chile export to Spain?
US$2.12 billion in 2025, according to data Chile reports to UN Comtrade, up from US$1.85 billion in 2024.
