Spanish parliamentarian Inigo Errejon denounces Prime Minister Rajoy for being "Trump's errand boy"
Speaking in Spain's national assembly, the Chamber of Deputies, Íñigo Errejón of the progressive Podemos caucus criticized Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy for subordinating the country's foreign policy to an "ideological affinity" for right-wing governments in Brazil and Argentina and for becoming "Trump's errand boy."
The remarks were made during a state visit by Argentine President Mauricio Macri, who, like Rajoy, enjoys the support of conservative Catholics and right-wingers generally; but whose austerity policies and authoritarian measures have reaped criticism both at home and abroad.
Errejón was especially critical of Rajoy's foreign policy.
"This administration doesn't view Latin America as the crucial geopolitical partner it is," Errejón said. "On the contrary: it's viewed as something to be kept in a drawer and pulled out during electoral campaigns - the use of Venezuela as a straw man when you have no real arguments, for example."
"Its foreign policy is part and parcel with its party's policy, which is to serve as Trump's errand boy."
Referring to Argentina, Errejón described its right-wing president as similar to Rajoy on a number of points:
"Macri's obviously like you when he enacts sharp utility rate hikes; or when his policies have resulted in over 200,000 layoffs in his first year alone; or whenever his name comes up in the Panama Papers - like some in this administration have."
"He's like you as well in that instead of fighting poverty he fights the poor, which is why Milagro Sala is still in jail."
Sala, an indigenous activist, was incarcerated without charges 13 months ago on orders from a governor closely allied with Macri; the UN, the OAS, Amnesty International, and others have for months called for her immediate release.
"Like yourselves, he rationalizes human rights atrocities during (Argentina's) last dictatorship," Errejón added, "just as you've done with the many victims of Franco's regime here at home - something you still refuse to prosecute."
Errejón nevertheless agreed with the importance of maintaining close ties with Argentina.
"We are not going to ask him (Rajoy) not to get along with Mr. Macri," he said; "but to the Argentine people, the majority of whom are suffering abuse and cutbacks, we say one thing: stay strong - we're coming back."
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Íñigo Errejón[/center]
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