The Anti-Drug Prosecutor's Office opposes investigating Zapatero, which is escalating the debate in Congress.

MadridVenezuela is part of Spanish politics, not only because of the thousands of Venezuelans living in the country—especially in Madrid—but also because, beyond Gaza, it is one of the international issues that most strains parliamentary relations. This was evident once again this Thursday in the Congress of Deputies with the extraordinary appearance of Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, who explained his policy regarding the Venezuelan situation and defended not only Spain's role as a "bridge" with the country but also the role of the former Spanish president as mediator. He faced criticism from the right and far right throughout the discussion, despite the fact that the Anti-Drug Prosecutor's Office has opposed investigating him for his alleged links to Venezuelan drug trafficking. "I hope they apologize to him," reacted Spanish Vice President María Jesús Montero afterward.

It is no secret that the former Spanish president is on the right targetBut this Thursday they escalated their rhetoric even further. "Zapatero is a whitewasher of the Chavista tyranny, a facilitator of the birth of Venezuelan political prisoners, and he has specialized in the trafficking of political prisoners," declared PP spokesperson Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo. While the Spanish government—through Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares—has supported the former Spanish president's role in the release of the Venezuelan political prisoners—who recently arrived in Spain—the PP and Vox have accused him of being in the service of the dictatorship. While the debate was taking place in Congress, the PP leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, took advantage of the situation. to meet with the opposition leader exiled in Spain, Edmundo González.

"Do you want to know what the Venezuelan opposition thinks of Zapatero? Do you know what María Corina Machado thinks?" he challenged Álvarez de Toledo. "Delcy Rodríguez has referred to Zapatero as my prince"She added. Meanwhile, Pepa Millán, spokesperson for Vox, also accused him of collaborating with the dictatorial regime. In fact, she demanded explanations from the minister regarding another case currently in court, with Venezuelan ties: the Spanish government's bailout of Plus Ultra. "Did he pressure Zapatero for the bailout?" she asked.

Specifically, this Thursday the Anti-Drug Prosecutor's Office has spoken out against it of the admission of the lawsuit brought by Hazte Oír against José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. He was accused of drug trafficking, money laundering, and organized crime for his alleged "collaboration with the criminal structure" of Nicolás Maduro. The public prosecutor's office considers that the facts lack the "minimal characteristics of a crime." In the document, to which Europa Press had access, it argues that they "are based solely on journalistic reports" and others "are being investigated in other proceedings." It believes that it simply includes "unfounded conjectures, assumptions, and/or deductions lacking the slightest descriptive sense or factual support whatsoever."

The most vehement in responding to the right and far right in the chamber was the Socialist spokesperson, Patxi López, who accused them of being completely ignorant. In fact, he emphasized that the former president played a key role, along with Lula da Silva (Brazil) and Qatar, in the release of Spanish political prisoners in Venezuela: "Everyone recognizes it." "They're hypocrites," the socialist criticized. He also pointed out that more Venezuelan exiles have arrived under Pedro Sánchez's government than during Mariano Rajoy's. Gabriel Rufián, the ERC leader in Madrid, seized on this fact to urge the PSOE to reflect: "They've been implementing tailor-made legislation for this Venezuelan opposition for years, and they all end up shouting 'Pedro Sánchez, son of a bitch!' They need to take a good look at themselves."

Foreign or domestic policy?

The chamber was ideologically divided between right and left, while Junts remained neutral. "It's true to say that Trump is violating international law and that Venezuela is a dictatorship," said Marta Madrenas, who at some points in her speech accused the national parties of having a "double standard" regarding the "repression" of the independence movement. The PP and Vox defended Donald Trump and his intervention in Venezuela, while the Spanish government emphasized the "danger" posed by the United States' violation of international law and pointed out the PP's contradictions regarding Trump's support for Delcy Rodríguez instead of María Corina Machado: "The Spanish government didn't appoint her." "Don't they have anything to say about Greenland?" the minister added, defending its right to choose to be part of Denmark and the EU. "Everything is connected," Albares repeated on more than one occasion, while also advocating for a transition and dialogue among Venezuelans to bring about democracy.

The left wing of the PSOE, in turn, has accused the minister of "cowardice": Rufián criticized him for not speaking about Maduro's "kidnapping," while Podemos demanded he break off relations and "isolate" the United States. "Cowardice is not staying to listen," Albares retorted to the leader of Esquerra, who was absent during his speech—the session lasted four hours.

Although it was a debate on foreign policy, all the parties accused each other of using international politics according to their national interests. For Pepa Millán, what the Spanish government has done in the conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Venezuela is try to mobilize "the extreme left" in the face of its falling poll numbers, while for Patxi López, the right constantly uses "the ETA and Venezuela trump card" to try to weaken Pedro Sánchez. Polarization governs all the debates in Congress.