The Diplomat
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, defended this Wednesday in Congress the mediation work of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero in Venezuela, in response to some words from the PP MP Belén Hoyo in which she stated that the former president of the Government “is not a reference in terms of the defence of democracy, precisely”.
In her question to Albares during the control session of the Government, Hoyo denounced the “degradation of democracy” by the Government of Pedro Sánchez and asked “with what moral authority” is the Spanish Executive going to defend democracy abroad if it is not capable of guaranteeing democratic quality within its borders.
The Government “does not defend democracy either inside or outside Spain” and “confuses prudence with cowardice and diplomacy with submission”, she denounced. “The Spanish people do not deserve a government that kneels before dictatorships, but one that stands up for freedom,” she added.
Hoyo also harshly criticized Zapatero, who “is not a reference in terms of the defense of democracy, precisely,” and who this past Monday presented a book with his parliamentary speeches in Congress. According to the PP parliamentarian, it is not clear whether Zapatero attended this event “as a trafficker of political prisoners, as an ambassador to Latin American dictatorships or as a second Minister of Foreign Affairs.”
“I already know that you will never support the Government, not even in this very serious moment for Spain and for Europe in the world, but if you are not going to support, at least do not hinder and do not harm the interests of the Spanish people, which is what you are doing,” Albares said in his response to Hoyo. “Of course you are surprised by the important role of Zapatero in the world because nobody imagines any of your former presidents being called for any mediation in the world,” he added.
