Literature, democratic memory and business: why is Salvador Isla going to Mexico?
The president's trip to the International Book Fair comes shortly after the announcement of the new direct flight between Barcelona and Mexico City.
BarcelonaFor Salvador Isla's government, Mexico is a "strategic" bridge between Catalonia and Latin America. The celebration of the International Book Fair (FIL) The Guadalajara International Book Fair, with Barcelona as the guest city, provided the perfect opportunity for the Catalan president to travel to Mexico to strengthen relations and explore new avenues for collaboration. This past weekend, Isla began his trip in Mexico City, where he visited the Catalan government delegation and met with the Orfeó Català de Mèxic, one of the historic Catalan exile associations. The president of the Generalitat recalled the election of President Josep Tarradellas in exile to the Orfeó's guestbook. Simultaneously, on Sunday, Isla also attended an event with relatives of Catalan exiles, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the death of dictator Francisco Franco. And this Monday brings the main event: the opening of the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL), where the mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, will also be present. The trip will last until Thursday and includes an address by Isla before the Mexican Senate.
The entire agenda for this Monday, the day of the inauguration of the Catalan stand at the fair, will revolve around this event. Besides meeting with Catalan writers and artists, the president will meet with the governor of Jalisco, Pablo Lemus, and with the rectors of the University of Barcelona (UB), the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), and Pompeu Fabra University (UPF). The following day, after meeting with the publishing sector, he will sign the renewal of the agreement between the Barcelona Supercomputing Center and the Center for Data Analysis and Supercomputing (CADS) of the University of Guadalajara. He will meet with Eduardo Mendoza and Joan Manuel Serrat, and will make cultural visits to the city.
Meeting with Slim, the richest man in Mexico
This is Salvador Illa's third major international trip, after the from Japan and Koreain May, and the one of ChinaIn July, the Catalan government is seeking to expand Catalonia's international alliances in light of the changing geopolitical landscape and Donald Trump's shift in US trade policy. Meanwhile, the Catalan president's visit to Latin America comes shortly after Aeroméxico announced a direct flight between Mexico City and Barcelona starting in March 2026. The new route is supported by the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, which, along with the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, will host a meeting of nine Mexican business leaders on Wednesday. On the same day, Isla will visit the Catalan Business Club and meet with Carlos Slim, the country's richest man and a magnate with interests in construction, infrastructure, energy, telecommunications, and finance. He will also deliver a lecture at the Senate as part of a forum on the role of regional governments in economic development. The trip will end on Thursday with a meeting between Isla and the head of the Mexico City government, Clara Brugada, a conference at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and a visit to the exhibition of Catalan artist Marta Palau at the Museum of Contemporary Art.