The Diplomat in Spain

The arrival of Donald Trump to the White House stopped any possible negotiation on Palomares.

The Diplomat.16/08/2018

The Spanish Government is convinced that it will be nearly impossible to move forward with the Trump Administration in a solution that allows the treatment and removal of the 50,000 cubic meters of soil contaminated by plutonium in Palomares.

The arrival of Donald Trump to the White House stopped any possible negotiation to translate into a binding agreement the declaration of intentions signed in October 2015 by the then Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel García-Margallo, and John Kerry, as Secretary of State of Barack Obama, to try to end a dispute 52 years ago.

The stoppage that took place in Spain in 2016 due to the successive electoral consultations prevented work on the negotiation on an issue that has always been annoying for the North American authorities. Later, the United States concentrated on its presidential elections and the issue of Palomares was relegated to oblivion.

After the triumph of Trump, the Spanish Executive considered that it would be very difficult to try to advance in the concretion of points such as the payment of the transfer of contaminated land or the form in which it would be done because it is very sensitive issues for such a nationalist Administration like the American.

Although, when he was in opposition, the PSOE presented this year in the Congress of Deputies a proposal not law to urge the Spanish Government and the US to make specific commitments, in the Government of Pedro Sanchez looks very It is difficult for Washington to do anything to solve the problem.