The President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, explained this Thursday during a press conference in which he commented on the results of a popularity survey of world leaders that Spain has maintained Francoism «without Franco».
«I can’t say how the opposition is there, but you can imagine,» explained the Mexican leader, echoing a study in which the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, has obtained 33 percent acceptance as a world leader.
López Obrador explained that, in spite of the changes that Spain has made in recent years, such as «the Moncloa Pact or the advance of democracy», it has given «continuity» to Francoism without the dictator, which, according to him, «does not help» democratic values.
This is not the first time that the Mexican president has spoken out about Spain in his press conferences. Last February he advocated a «pause» in relations with Madrid, although he later clarified that it was not a «rupture», but a time of reflection to «internalize» that there is no more room for «plundering» or «corruption».
The words of the Mexican President caused uneasiness in the Spanish Government, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, demanding a clarification from his Mexican counterpart, Marcelo Ebrard.
Albares made it clear that the Spanish Government «has not taken any action that could justify a statement of this type», after recalling that the relationship between the two countries is «strategic» and that it goes «beyond sudden verbal statements or specific words». Likewise, he stressed that the Executive will always defend the interests of Spain «in any circumstance and before any country».
The Mexican President has been very critical of Spain’s colonial legacy, demanding on several occasions that Spain apologize for it. In this sense, he sent King Felipe VI a letter demanding that «the Spanish State admits its historical responsibility» for the offenses committed during the conquest and «offers apologies or political reparations as appropriate».
