The regional president of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, accused both Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Tuesday of putting her and her team “in danger” during their trip to Mexico last week.
The conservative Díaz Ayuso, speaking on the Spanish radio station Cope, described Mexico as a “deeply violent and dangerous” country and canceled the final part of her public appearances.
“In a situation of extreme danger, (the government) abandoned us and no one has contacted us. (…) Do I have to travel in a flotilla threatening governments to get diplomacy and support from our government?” declared the Madrid president, one of the most prominent figures in the People’s Party (PP).
It so happens that this past Sunday, a Spanish-Palestinian activist was deported from Israel after being detained days earlier by the Israeli Navy in international waters near Greece. He was part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was carrying aid to Gaza, prompting diplomatic intervention from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
What did Isabel Díaz Ayuso say about her trip to Mexico?
In her first public statements since announcing the cancellation of her Mexican tour last Friday (which was scheduled to end today, Tuesday), the Madrid president insisted on denouncing a “boycott” operation by Sheinbaum. She added that the Sánchez government had “thrown fire” from Spain, which is why she decided to cancel the final leg of her trip, which was to take her to Monterrey.
Díaz Ayuso lashed out at Sánchez’s government for having “abandoned a representative of the State” like herself “to her fate” in a country mired in “drug trafficking,” adding, “Anything could have happened to us anywhere,” since, since Morena, Sheinbaum’s party, came to power, “hundreds of politicians have been murdered.”
In her statement last Friday, the Madrid president accused Sheinbaum of threatening to close the venue hosting the Platino Awards gala if the PP leader attended, a claim denied by both the Mexican government and the Xcaret hotel company, owner of the complex in question and sponsor of the awards, as well as the Community of Madrid.
But Díaz Ayuso stood by her version of events, asserting that she had “proof” of Sheinbaum’s threats and said that the venue “had to prohibit entry and claim it was because of my statements.”
“I don’t know what statements she made,” Díaz Ayuso continued, alluding to her participation in an event where she championed mestizaje (racial and cultural mixing) and figures like Isabella I of Castile and Hernán Cortés. The president said she “barely” mentioned Cortés, adding, “I never insulted anyone, I never offended anyone, quite the opposite.”
She also accused Sheinbaum of “sabotaging” the event, which was scheduled to take place at the Metropolitan Cathedral. However, the Archdiocese of Madrid announced its cancellation because the production company, directed by musician Nacho Cano, “did not obtain all the necessary permits for filming at the venue.”
The Madrid president did not specify her schedule in Mexico between Thursday and Sunday, four days during which she had no public appearances, a fact that has drawn criticism from the left-wing opposition in Madrid.
Source: elfinanciero
