The relationship between Podemos and the government is going through its lowest hours and experienced its last episode this Friday because of the Sahara. The former minister and secretary general of the purple formation, Ione Belarrarebelled and accused Pedro Sanchez of being “accomplice” of the “Moroccan dictatorship” and of “expelling without witnesses” Sahrawi activists.
This Friday, the former minister moved again to Terminal 1 of the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport and tried again to enter the asylum seekers’ room, without success. According to what he reported to the media, The government “violates fundamental rights” Sahrawis who are there.
Belarra’s visit came after news that Interior had deported 16 of the asylum seekers detained in Barajas, some for a month, after refusing their requests for protection. Currently, there are 15 people left in this room and some of them already have their deportation scheduled for this Sunday.
The president of the government expels the Sahrawi activists with the help of parapolice commandos and prevents the elected deputies from entering Barajas. Today is a day where my faith in democracy is shattered. pic.twitter.com/UPBOCH8uE2
– Ione Belarra (@ionebelarra) October 4, 2024
According to the Efe agency, the deportees were arrested by the Moroccan authorities as soon as the plane from Spain landed. All the activists had documents proving their Sahrawi origin and a favorable recommendation from the UNHCR, the United Nations agency for the protection of refugees, to facilitate their entry into Spain.
Belarra assured that various “socialist leaders”, in reference to Sánchez but also to the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande Marlaskamaneuvered so that these expulsions were carried out “without witnesses and without the possibility of control” by elected officials.
According to Podemos sources, their rights as elected officials to examine the situation and exercise their “constitutional rights of representation and control of government action in favor of human rights” are being violated.
The second visit
This Friday was Belarra’s second visit to T1 due to this situation and the second time he has been denied access. The former minister tried to enter the asylum seekers’ room on September 23, when several Sahrawis were on hunger strike due to the situation they are experiencing.
The next day, September 24, Belarra requested protection from the Congressional Council of Deputies, believing that her rights as an elected official had been violated. He assured that there was an “unjustified and arbitrary limitation of her functions” as a deputy. He also requested protection from the chairman of the Congressional Interior Committee, the socialist Maria Carmen Castile.
As Belarra explained, the President of the Commission offered the possibility of organizing a visit to these facilities next week, which is unacceptable for the purples.
The former minister also sent a letter to Fernando Grande-Marlaska in which she explains that she was not allowed to enter the asylum room. This is a situation that MPs also experienced on September 27. Irene Montero And Isabelle Serraboth from the purple formation.
As explained in the letter, the order not to let them in came from the Secretary of State for Security, Rafael Perezaccording to what they were told by the agents who refused them access. “This demonstration is extremely serious,” he said in the letter to which this newspaper had access, demanding “the immediate cessation of this obstructive activity and the purging of responsibilities.”
However, it was of no use to him, as we saw this Friday. According to Podemos, they are studying all possible parliamentary and judicial measures to appeal this situation. Although they are aware that for expelled activists there is no going back.
