The Chamber of Spain defends public-private collaboration to attract investment to Ibero-America.

Madrid, November 4, 2026. The president of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, José Luis Bonet, has underscored the strategic relevance of public-private collaboration as a fundamental driver to attract investment and foster economic development in Ibero-America. These statements were made during his remarks at the roundtable titled “Where does Ibero-America stand in the world,” held within the framework of the XVI Ibero-American Business Meeting in Madrid. The event, which took place on November 3 and 4 in the emblematic Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas, brought together more than 2,000 business leaders, government representatives, and international organizations from 22 countries. Bonet participated in the debate alongside prominent figures such as José Manuel Salazar Xirinachs, executive secretary of ECLAC; Juan Cerruti, chief economist of Grupo Santander; and Amparo López Senovilla, president of ICEX. The session was moderated by Trinidad Jiménez, president of the Brazil-Spain Chamber of Commerce and of the Ibero-American Business Foundation (FIE).

During his speech, Bonet emphasized that Ibero-America is facing a historic opportunity to strengthen its global position amid the current reorganization of international trade. Citing World Bank forecasts, he noted that regional growth of 2.2% is expected for the year 2026. He also recalled the strong economic link between Spain and the region, highlighting that Latin America concentrates approximately 30% of Spanish investment abroad, a figure close to 200 billion euros. Nevertheless, the president of the Spanish Chamber also identified several critical challenges that must be addressed to consolidate this capital flow. Among them, he mentioned the imperative need to guarantee legal certainty, reduce the fragmentation of regional markets, improve infrastructure, and facilitate access to financing, with a special focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which make up the bulk of the productive fabric.

Bonet defended the essential role of chambers of commerce as institutional bridges between the private sector and public administrations. In this sense, he valued the “Declaration of Valladolid,” a document approved by the Ibero-American Association of Chambers of Commerce (AICO) that sets out concrete proposals to improve competitiveness and integration. For the first time, these recommendations will be directly conveyed to the Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, seeking to ensure that the voice of businesspeople has a real impact on the region’s public policies. The XVI Ibero-American Business Meeting thus consolidates itself as the reference platform for business dialogue in the region, operating under the motto “Ibero-America facing the challenges of the global economy: strengthening public-private collaboration.” This forum, organized by the Ibero-American Business Council (CEIB), the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), and the CEOE, serves as a precursor to the XXX Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government. Bonet’s participation not only represented the Spanish Chamber, but also the entire network of Ibero-American Chambers of Commerce, reinforcing the unity of action of the chamber system in the face of challenges such as digitalization, the energy transition, and food security.