The PP criticizes the management of hantavirus: "It's chaos"

MadridIt was only a matter of time before the management of the hantavirus crisis spilled over into the political arena. This happened on Thursday, two days after the debate began on whether the Canary Islands should be a stop or not for the ship MV Hondius where the outbreak of the disease has been detected. The PP has already criticized the role of Pedro Sánchez's government, and Vox has insinuated that if the Minister of Health, Mónica García, has finally accepted the cruise ship's passage, it is because she expects a future position in the World Health Organization (WHO).

The PP spokesperson in Congress, Ester Muñoz, has denounced an "absolute chaos" and stated that García is not "prepared" for it: "She should have resigned a long time ago." In this regard, she has requested an extraordinary appearance of the head of Health in Congress to report on the situation and also to clarify whether the fourteen Spaniards on board must undergo quarantine or not. Muñoz has criticized the contradictions between Health and the Ministry of Defense, since this Wednesday Margarita Robles asserted that the confinement of Spanish citizens once they reach the High-Level Isolation Unit of the Central Defense Hospital Gómez Ulla (Madrid) would be "voluntary". On Thursday, in an interview on TVE, García asked for "responsibility" from the citizens on board the ship and recalled that the State has legal "mechanisms" for citizen protection, although she did not specify them.

In Muñoz's opinion, citizens are not given any "reassurance" by the thought that the health crisis can be managed by the same people who did not give "importance" to the coronavirus. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, in a message on X, commented: "In a health crisis, a government does not ask for reassurance, it transmits it." Later, from Andalusia, at a campaign event, the PP president lamented that in recent days there has been "too much confusion" from Moncloa and revived the discourse that the Popular Party championed during the pandemic, calling to "know the health documents that support each decision" and the "name of the experts who have managed the crisis." "Making decisions behind the backs of the autonomous communities is a real irresponsibility. A loyal government does not impose and does not hide, but rather dialogues and is transparent," he concluded.

For his part, the leader of the far-right party Vox, Santiago Abascal, has criticized the Spanish president, Pedro Sánchez, during the Andalusian elections campaign, stating that he "has no scruples and is capable of causing an epidemic just so corruption is not discussed." In parallel, the PSOE and Sumar have supported Mónica García. The Minister of Youth, Sira Rego, has said that "everything is under control."

Complaints from the Canary Islands and Sánchez's call

From the outset, the government of the Canary Islands has rejected the stop of the ship MV Hondius on its coast, but has also criticized the lack of information they say the Spanish government has given them. This Thursday there are several meetings between the Canarian government and the Ministries of Health and Interior involved in the hantavirus protocol, but from Coalición Canaria (CC) they have lamented the lack of transparency. Taking advantage of the debate in Congress on the arrest of members of the Flotilla in Israel, the Canarian Cristina Valido (CC), taunted the Spanish government: "When President Pedro Sánchez has a moment, he should call President Clavijo." Contact was made in the afternoon. The Spanish government president has had a "phone conversation" with Fernando Clavijo, as confirmed by sources from Moncloa, who framed it within the "collaboration between institutions" and the "institutional loyalty that the moment requires".

Precisely, the head of the Canarian executive, upon leaving a meeting with the Spanish government this Thursday, lamented the decision to welcome the ship with the hantavirus outbreak. According to him, Spain did not have the "legal obligation" to do so and considered that for the passengers themselves it would have been better to travel from Cape Verde to their respective countries. However, they refused from Praia and Health has decided to comply with the World Health Organization's request. What Clavijo did celebrate is that the ship will not reach the coast of Granadilla, but will anchor and from there the passengers will be transported directly to the airport so that they can all be repatriated. The idea is that they spend as little time as possible in this place. From the plenary session of Congress, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, defended the stop of the ship MV Hondius because it is part of the compliance with "international and humanitarian law".