In his first public appearance with questions since he arrived in Madrid on February 16, the United States ambassador has charged against the Government of Pedro Sánchez, whom he has asked to increase “defense” spending to 5% of GDP. Benjamín León Jr. has placed this mission as the first of his four priorities as Donald Trump’s envoy to Spain. The other three are to defend the interests of Americans who live in our country, promote common relations and stability in Latin America, and defend a security position with respect to China, about which Spain has been warned of the risks posed by technology. Huawei.
“I recognize Spain’s commitment to achieving the 2% of GDP defense spending agreed in 2014. But today we face greater threats. President Trump has made it clear that our security requires a greater degree of commitment: achieving 5% defense spending [y seguridad] agreed in The Hague in June 2025 by all NATO members,” said León. “Because peace does not maintain itself. Freedom requires strength, and strength requires preparation. We live in dangerous times. Europe must be prepared to defend itself. The United States will be at your side. Together we will guarantee the security of the democratic world.”
President Sánchez signed the joint communiqué of that summit, but also a letter with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutten, in which he warned that he would not reach that percentage.
León has been hard with Sánchez. When asked if an invitation from Washington to the Spanish president to visit the White House or vice versa is viable, the ambassador has launched a veiled criticism of Moncloa: “If The president of Spain has not invited me, I don’t think he’s inviting Trump. “The president is frustrated with Spain’s position on 5% defense spending,” he said.
Previously, he has delved into the “frustration” of the American leader with Sánchez. “Trump has always said at the end of his comments about Spain that the most beautiful and positive thing that Spain has are the Spanish. It is nothing against the Spanish people, it is against the Government, that frustration“, he stressed. “And I think he is right.”
Spain, sister country of the United States
León Jr. has referred to the historic special relationship between Spain and the United States. This July 4th marks 250 years since the declaration of independence of the United States. “Bernardo de Galvez [militar y ex virrey de Nueva España] and Spanish forces fought alongside American patriot troops in the Gulf and the Mississippi,” the ambassador recalled. “When our young nation was fighting to survive, Spain was there. We Americans do not forget, and neither do I personally.”
León Jr. has also taken advantage of his appearance to warn Spain about the risks posed by China, a country to which President Pedro Sánchez has gone four times in recent years.
SPAIN USA.- Josu Jon Imaz (d), president of the Board of Trustees of the Spain-USA Council Foundation. and CEO of Repsol, greets Mavileibys Campa (i), wife of the United States ambassador to Spain, Benjamín León Jr. (c) / Chema Moya / EFE
“China seeks to dominate critical technologiesuses unfair trade practices and economic coercion to expand its strategic alliance,” he warned. “This represents real risks for our supply chains, security… The US and Europe must protect their research, their intellectual property and their democratic values. “We cannot mortgage our security for short-term benefits.”
President Donald Trump paid a visit to Beijing two weeks ago, where he was received and entertained by his counterpart Xi Jinping and that served to extend the truce in the trade war between both countries, but left few concrete agreements.
He has asked that Spain “be careful to keep China out of critical areas”. He has pointed out that Huawei has contracts to maintain the security of administration documents, which he sees as a security problem.
“The alliances are renewed”
Benjamín León Jr. is a Cuban-American businessman born in Oriente, Cuba, in 1944, and emigrated to Miami in 1961, at the age of 16. In his appearance at the Nueva Economía Forum this Wednesday, he also highlighted that both he and his wife have Spanish ancestry, specifically from the Canary Islands. He has assured that he arrived in Miami “at 16 years old and five dollars in his pocket”, fleeing Cuba. He became a millionaire in the healthcare sector in Florida after founding Leon Medical Centers in 1996.
The ambassador and businessman has set as his fourth priority the relationship with Latin America. “Spain and the United States share unique ties with Latin America: history, language, culture and the commitment to defend prosperity, stability and democracy in our hemisphere,” he stressed. “By working together we can generate a much greater impact […] Alliances are renewed. I am convinced that the best of the US-Spain alliance does not only belong to the past. The best is yet to be written,” he concluded.
He did not want to address the possible military intervention of the United States in Cuba, but he did describe how the humanitarian fund of 100 million dollars in aid will be delivered to the Cuban people, which will be managed by the Church to prevent it from being used by the regime.
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