The head of Spanish diplomacy, José Manuel Albares, has described this Monday as “unfair and very poorly informed” the criticisms that prominent figures of US politics have made in recent weeks to the policy of the Spanish Government towards Latin America and, in in particular, towards Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. The chairman of the Senate Foreign Committee, Democrat Bob Menéndez, was shown on October 7 “deeply concerned that Spain will adopt [respecto a América Latina] views that are outside of the democracy and human rights provisions one would expect from a NATO ally ”.
Menéndez made these statements during the audience with the future ambassador of his country in Madrid, Julissa Reynoso, who also described the policy of Spain in the region as “lackluster” and assured that he aspires from his new position to be “more frank” and do “much more.” Spain did not join in last July a statement promoted by Washington and supported by a score of allies in which the repression of the demonstrations in Cuba was condemned and the regime was threatened with the adoption of measures if it did not cease.
Albares has challenged to cite a single country that is doing as much as Spain for human rights and democracy in Latin America and has recalled the call for consultations of the Spanish ambassador in Nicaragua and the study of sanctions against the Ortega regime in the EU ; the support for the talks between the Maduro regime and the Venezuelan opposition in Mexico and their “disappointment” at their breakdown; or the statements he made as soon as he took possession of the portfolio, asking for respect for the right to demonstrate in Cuba and for the release of the detained journalists.
The minister has assured that these criticisms “do not respond” to the dialogue he maintains with the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, with whom he has addressed the situation in Latin America on several occasions – the last one during the meeting that both held on the 6th of July. Paris, in which both have agreed on the need to cooperate for the development of the region. He has also complained that the reality of the continent is reduced to Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, when for Spain “all countries are equally important and aspires to build with them the Ibero-American community of nations.”
At an informative breakfast organized by Nueva Economía Forum Europa in a hotel in Madrid, Albares also warned, with respect to Poland, that “whoever says that their national law is above European law is situated outside the EU” and has asked to the European Commission to send “a very strong signal” to the Government of Warsaw. However, it has not wanted to pronounce on the advisability of cutting off the tap of EU aid to Poland, claiming that firmness must be combined with “trying until the last moment to maintain cohesion”. The minister, who last week met for the second time in a few days with his Algerian counterpart in Tripoli, has insisted that coverage of the Spanish demand for gas “is guaranteed.”