There is nothing like Venezuela to settle the Spanish political debate with blows. For the right, it has always been a lever with which to attack the left for its support, total or partial, to the Chavista governments. There is no doubt as to where the Popular Party is since the Government of José María Aznar refused to condemn the attempted coup d’état of 2002 against Hugo Chávez and agreed to an ambiguous declaration with the United States that could serve to support the insurrection. What has always interested it most is to use the crises in that country to denounce an alleged complicity of the governments of Zapatero and Sánchez with Caracas.
That is why the PP decided on Monday that it had to devote more energy to criticising the socialists than to denouncing the official results of the Venezuelan presidential elections, which have declared Nicolás Maduro the winner. “Spain should be leading Venezuelan democrats. What it has done is to take a backseat in recent days,” said Cuca Gamarra. “Where is Mr Albares? With Maduro or with Spanish democrats?” The PP secretary general chose to ignore the fact that Sánchez’s government has not recognised Maduro’s victory, proclaimed by Venezuelan electoral authorities in the early hours of Monday without the vote counting having been completed.
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