The Diplomat
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Congress yesterday once again staged the great differences between the Government and the Popular Party on foreign policy, in this case regarding the political situation in Venezuela and Nicaragua and the action or inaction of the Government with respect to these two countries.
From the outset, the discrepancies became evident in a non-legislative proposal (PNL) presented by the PSOE to strengthen “transatlantic relations with the USA” which, in principle, should not present major problems.
The socialist motion aims to “strengthen transatlantic relations both at the bilateral level, diversifying and expanding institutional relations at different levels; and in the field of a united and strong European Union through, among other aspects, close cooperation in multilateral organizations such as the United Nations”. Apart from defense, the PNL proposes “maintaining cooperation in security and defense matters, including the development of the 1988 Bilateral Defense Agreement”, strengthening cultural and educational ties with the opening of more Cervantes Institute offices and “collaborating in areas such as the fight against climate change”.
In the absence of major problems, the first point of friction occurred when the deputy spokesman of the PP, Pablo Hispán, introduced an amendment to “strengthen cooperation with the Government of the United States in the protection of human rights and the promotion of freedom and democracy, especially in the face of the dictatorships in Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua”, an amendment that was rejected by the PSOE. During the debate, Hispán recalled the criticisms made a few days ago in the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee against the policies of the Government of Pedro Sánchez towards Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
On the other hand, the Commission rejected a motion of the Popular Parliamentary Group urging the Government to “condemn the dictatorship of Nicaragua for the violation of freedoms and human rights and promote all necessary political and diplomatic actions in defense of democracy in the country”. The text, rejected without abstentions and with the votes against of the Government partners, condemned “the persecution and the arrest order of the intellectual and Cervantes Prize winner Sergio Ramirez” and urged the Government “not to recognize the results of the elections scheduled for next November 7 as long as all the rights of the opposition and the transparency of the process are not guaranteed”.
During the debate, Noemí Villagrasa, of the PSOE, assured that the Socialist Group has already condemned “the persecution of Sergio Ramírez in Nicaragua” and the “arbitrary repression and violence exercised by the Government of Daniel Ortega”. For her part, Belén Hoyos, of the PP, denounced “the lack of freedom and Ortega’s policies of social exclusion”, against which “a true civic resistance and for a democratic change that will allow Nicaragua to be a country with freedom”. Precisely, the Chargé d’Affaires of the Spanish Embassy in Nicaragua, Jaime Ramos Schlingmann, reiterated yesterday the commitment of the Spanish Government to democracy in Nicaragua and called on Ortega to comply with his obligations in the field of Human Rights.
Subsequently, the Commission debated and approved a Proposition not of Law presented by Pedro Sánchez’s government partner, the Confederal Parliamentary Group of Unidas Podemos, to “promote the process of dialogue and negotiation on Venezuela, protecting the welfare of the Venezuelan people and its sovereignty”.
During the debate, Gemma Araújo, of the PSOE, defended “the negotiations between the different actors in Venezuela with the objectives of finding an agreed and peaceful solution and that the Venezuelan people freely decide their future in democratic elections. For his part, José Ignacio Echániz, deputy spokesman of the PP in Congress, stated that “the damage that Podemos has done to Venezuela will never be forgotten”. “The political and financial links of Podemos and the Venezuelan dictatorship are evidence,” he added.
Vox proposes expelling immigrants and sanctioning Morocco
On the other hand, the Commission rejected a PNL of Vox with “urgent measures” against the “threat of Morocco”, which called for the immediate return of immigrants entering Spain, the suspension of the granting of entry visas to Europe, the archiving of legal residence files for Moroccans who are in Spain and the paralyzing of the granting of nationalities, as well as economic sanctions against Rabat.
