The Diplomat
The new US Ambassador to Spain, Julissa Reynoso, visited the Rota naval air base yesterday and today she will visit the Morón de la Frontera air base, military bases where there are a large number of US military forces.
Reynoso, who presented her Letters of Credence to the King on the 2nd, has already been received by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, and of Defence, Margarita Robles, and one of her first activities, as part of the contacts she is making with the country’s main institutions and social agents, has been this visit to Rota and Morón de la Frontera, described by her Embassy as “protocolary”.
Yesterday, in Rota, as well as visiting the base facilities, she was received by the mayor of the city, Javier Ruiz, with whom she analysed projects and joint lines of work to provide the best possible service to the American community and the people of Rota.
Both inaugurated the exhibition ‘The Legacy: the Andalusian legacy in the United States of America”, and Julissa Reinoso highlighted the long-standing relationship between the two countries, indicating that exhibitions such as the one they were inaugurating foster interest and strengthen the ties between the two communities.
Afterwards, the ambassador met with the mayor of Puerto de Santa María, Germán Beardo.
Today, Julissa Reynoso is scheduled to visit the Morón de la Frontera base, from which US military rapid reaction forces in Africa recently left for Vicenza, Italy, causing some concern among Spanish workers at the facility.
The Spanish civilian workforce at the Morón base has been calling for an update of the bilateral defence treaty between Spain and the United States, demanding employment guarantees following the redundancy plans and one-off layoffs undertaken since 2010 by the US companies in charge of managing the base’s civil engineering, logistical support and industrial hygiene services.
