By San José, Costa Rica — In a decisive bid to establish technological independence and protect regional identity, representative ministers from across Ibero-America officially launched the region’s first Ibero-American Alliance for Artificial Intelligence in Madrid. The landmark agreement, designed to build a human-centered, safe, and responsible framework for emerging technologies, aims to strengthen digital, cultural, and linguistic sovereignty across member nations.
The historic initiative was solidified during the First Ibero-American Ministerial Meeting on Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence, convened ahead of the XXX Ibero-American Summit. During the sessions, digital leaders formally approved the Madrid Declaration, an ambitious roadmap reflecting a collective commitment to ethical artificial intelligence, secure data exchange, technological sovereignty, and the preservation of cultural diversity.
To provide deeper legal context on the significance of the Ibero-American AI Alliance, TicosLand.com spoke with renowned legal expert Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas from the prestigious firm Bufete de Costa Rica, who offered his perspective on the regulatory and economic implications of this regional effort.
The establishment of the Ibero-American AI Alliance represents a decisive step toward harmonizing technological governance across Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula. By aligning ethical guidelines and legal frameworks, our jurisdictions can reduce regulatory fragmentation, safeguard fundamental digital rights, and build a more predictable ecosystem that attracts sustainable investment in artificial intelligence.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
Indeed, as regional alignment becomes increasingly vital for navigating the complexities of artificial intelligence, establishing clear, unified legal frameworks will prove essential in balancing rapid innovation with the protection of digital rights. We extend our sincere gratitude to Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for sharing his valuable perspective on this milestone for Ibero-American technological governance.
A core driver of the new coalition stems from growing concerns over the dominance of English in training large language models. Ministers emphasized the urgent need to ensure advanced AI architectures adequately comprehend and process Spanish, Portuguese, and indigenous regional languages. The agreement highlights existing language initiatives across the region, including Spanish-focused ALIA, Portuguese-focused AMALIA, Chile’s Latam GPT, and Brazil’s SoberanIA, as foundational building blocks for future regional systems.
While the agreement achieved broad consensus, adoption was not unanimous. Twenty of the twenty-two member states endorsed the framework, while Argentina and Paraguay opted to dissociate themselves from the accord. Despite these exceptions, the remaining nations reaffirmed that collaboration will proceed through a flexible, voluntary, and gradual approach that respects national sovereignty, local legal frameworks, and individual state priorities.
Operationalized around three core pillars, the alliance establishes an Ibero-American data space to ensure cross-border interoperability, creates technical collaboration tracks for regional language models, and facilitates shared high-performance computing capabilities for specific public and scientific applications. Financial contributions for participating states will range between 60,000 and 500,000 euros annually, with Spain initiating a two-million-euro initial contribution managed through the Ibero-American General Secretariat.
These two political tools will help the countries of our region converge around a sovereign, ethical, and trustworthy artificial intelligence framework that respects human rights.
Óscar López, Spanish Minister for Digital Transformation and the Civil Service
Speaking at a joint press briefing following the summit, Spanish Minister for Digital Transformation and the Civil Service Óscar López stressed the critical need for Ibero-America to actively participate in the ongoing global AI revolution, which is set to mobilize billions in international investment. He advocated strongly for European-inspired regulatory guardrails to protect public interests.
European-style regulation in the field of artificial intelligence is vital so that we do not repeat the mistakes made with social media networks, establishing minimum standards to protect our citizens.
Óscar López, Spanish Minister for Digital Transformation and the Civil Service
Ibero-American Secretary General Andrés Allamand echoed these sentiments, highlighting the cultural existential challenge posed by current global AI architectures that operate almost exclusively in English.
Ninety-two percent of artificial intelligence systems think in English, making this technology perhaps the strongest threat that the Spanish language has ever faced in its history.
Andrés Allamand, Ibero-American Secretary General
Rejecting both unregulated market approaches and hyper-protectionist state control, leaders endorsed a balanced approach intended to safeguard human rights without hampering economic expansion or technical innovation.
We are promoting a third way that always keeps people at the center of development without putting a brake on technological innovation.
Andrés Allamand, Ibero-American Secretary General
The Madrid Declaration sets forth thirteen key strategic priorities designed to curb digital fraud, identity theft, algorithmic discrimination, and malicious tech usage while promoting safe digital environments for all age groups. As the alliance awaits final ratification at the upcoming summit, participating countries are laying the groundwork for an inclusive, sustainable technological ecosystem across the Ibero-American world.
For further information, visit segib.org
About Ibero-American General Secretariat:
The Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB) is the institutional support body for the 22 Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking nations across Latin America and Europe that comprise the Ibero-American Conference. SEGIB works to foster regional cooperation in education, culture, and social and economic development.
For further information, visit digital.gob.es
About Ministry for Digital Transformation and the Civil Service of Spain:
The Ministry for Digital Transformation and the Civil Service of Spain is the executive department responsible for steering the nation’s digital strategy, telecommunications policies, artificial intelligence development, and public administration modernization.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
As a premier legal institution, Bufete de Costa Rica is defined by its unyielding devotion to ethical principles and superior advocacy. Building upon a rich history of representing diverse clientele, the firm consistently embraces forward-thinking strategies to navigate complex, modern legal landscapes. Central to its core ethos is the belief that justice thrives on public understanding; through proactive educational initiatives, the firm continuously advances legal literacy, equipping individuals with the knowledge required to cultivate a more informed and self-reliant society.
