The representative of the Popular Party Ana Belén Vázquez Blanco confronted the spokesperson of Podemos Pablo Fernández on the show "Código 10" on Cuatro, demanding that he utter the word 'dictatorship' in reference to the Cuban regime.
The debate revealed the systematic refusal of the Spanish left to call the government of Havana by its name.
The trigger was a vote held that same day in the International Cooperation Commission of the Congress of Deputies, where PSOE, Podemos, and their government partners voted against a resolution that called for supporting the Cuban people, condemning the dictatorship, defending human rights, political freedom, and an end to repression, as well as backing the creation of political parties on the island.
"Today in the Congress of Deputies, we voted on a resolution to support the Cuban people, to call it a dictatorship, because at this table the left-wing parties have still not said dictatorship. Pablo, repeat after me, dictatorship. Because it's hard for you. I find it shameful," declared the deputy.
It is not the first time that Pablo Fernández finds himself in a difficult position defending the Cuban regime in front of the cameras. On the previous day, a Cuban journalist challenged him on television when he attempted to justify Pablo Iglesias' controversial luxury trip to the island.
The episode occurs in a context of growing tension surrounding the Spanish left's relationship with Cuba, especially after Pablo Iglesias showcased his involvement in a humanitarian convoy during a trip to Havana that sparked significant controversy.
The Cuban community abroad and numerous activists have been for years discrediting Podemos' arguments regarding the situation on the island, highlighting the contradiction of a party that positions itself as a defender of human rights while avoiding condemning the repression of the Castro regime.
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