Albares defends Zapatero and assures that his policy toward Venezuela “will not change at all”

Eduardo González Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares asserted this Wednesday that Spain’s policy toward Venezuela “will not change at all” following the ruling by National Court Judge José Luis Calama regarding the alleged involvement of former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero in crimes of influence peddling, money laundering of illicit funds originating from Venezuela, and the illegal trafficking of oil and gold from that country. “I have great affection and fondness for former Prime Minister Zapatero, and this affection and fondness is shared by millions of Spaniards, not only all socialists, because of the immense legacy he has left, from peace in the face of the scourge of terrorism to the laws on gender equality, dependency care, same-sex marriage, and the improvement of pensions—measures that have forever improved the lives of Spaniards,” Albares declared in Berlin after meeting with his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul. “We must all be very respectful of former prime ministers. I am respectful of all former prime ministers, and I want to emphasize that yesterday, former Prime Minister Zapatero appeared in a video in which he forcefully defended his innocence and honesty. He did so very forcefully and quickly, and he also announced that he will continue to firmly defend that innocence. I believe we must allow time and calm for all of this to become clear,” he continued. In any case, Albares insisted that “Spain’s policy toward Venezuela will not change at all.” “Spain’s policy towards Venezuela has followed a single objective and a single interest, which is that of the Spanish people, of our companies there, of our community there, of the relationship with a brother nation like the people of Venezuela, of the 250,000 Venezuelans who have arrived with this Government, with the Government of Pedro Sánchez and not with others, including people like Leopoldo López, who has had Spanish nationality with this Government and not with others recently, or Edmundo González, who has an asylum status and, therefore, it is not going to change at all,” he added.

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