Trump's anti-diversity measures reach a Barcelona library.

BarcelonaThe aftershocks of the earthquake that marked Donald Trump's return to the US presidency are numerous and reach unexpected places. The latest has affected the Ignasi Iglésias - Can Fabra Library, where the American Space Barcelona project has been carried out since 2016. This project, which receives a portion of US government funding and promotes cultural exchange and dialogue between Barcelona and the United States, has received significant progress. The Country and The Newspaper and ARA has confirmed, Barcelona City Council received a notification last week from the American Embassy in Madrid warning them that none of the funds from the American government can be used for "programs that promote diversity, equity or inclusion."

The letter is a notification that the American Embassy has sent to all those institutions with which it has collaboration agreements to remind them of the existence of Executive Order 14173 –which is entitled Ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity–, an anti-diversity federal law pushed by Trump. In the case of the City Council, the letter referred to the American Space Barcelona program, although it did not question it or request any specific action from the council.

The program, which has been running for almost a decade and is partly funded by US funds, is primarily aimed at children and young people with the aim of promoting technological and English learning. Since it began operating, according to City Council sources, the program has hosted nearly 2,000 activities with more than 77,000 attendees.

City Council Response

Municipal sources emphasize that the City Council will not take these restrictions into account, considering that the law is not valid outside the United States. Furthermore, they emphasize that vetoing actions that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion contravenes "the fundamental values and political principles of inclusion, the promotion of gender equality, and pluralism that are inherent to the city government." They also insist that Barcelona's libraries are "safe community spaces where interculturality, integration, and a gender perspective are promoted through various programs."

However, the City Council adds that it will continue to seek collaborative agreements and explore avenues for relationships with cities, institutions, and public entities in the United States, "respecting and actively promoting inclusion, diversity, and equity, fundamental values of a just, plural, democratic society that fully defends rights."