The co-coordinator of the Sumar Movement, Verónica Barbero, has stated that she has no doubt that the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, will attend Congress to address the migratory crisis in Ceuta "just like other ministers," emphasizing his commitment to "total transparency."
In an interview on 'RNE', reported by Europa Press, she celebrated the appointment of a single command to lead the response to the crisis in Ceuta, although she insisted that the priority of the Executive must be the "safety of people" and the streamlining of reception mechanisms, with special attention to the transfer to the Peninsula of minors and asylum seekers.
By supporting the single command in Ceuta, led by Minister Ángel Víctor Torres, the leader of Sumar has pointed out that "we need to give a boost to this crisis" and has also demanded "responsibility" from the autonomous communities governed by the Popular Party.
In this regard, Barbero has harshly criticized the position of the PP and Vox, whom she accuses of maintaining "a constant blackmail on human rights" and promoting a discourse that she has described as "repugnant and intolerable racism." In her view, the PP "is not collaborating at all" and is limited to "manufacturing fear by calling those who arrive invaders, associating them with diseases (...) and calling for lockdowns, which the epidemiologists themselves consider unjustified."
Therefore, the parliamentary spokesperson for Sumar has urged the leader of the opposition, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, to rectify: "He should apologize, heed the data, the scientific evidence, and the rule of law."
Relationship with Morocco and EU migration policy
On another note, Barbero has argued that "Morocco has shown that it is not a reliable partner" after what happened in Ceuta and has demanded that the European Union thoroughly review its policies to "stop externalizing borders in countries that do not respect human rights." In this context, she has called for "coordination and firmness" against the North African country, to which, in her opinion, Spain "has delegated the management of its borders."
At the same time, he has ruled out that a trip by the King to Ceuta is appropriate, pointing out that "the solutions will focus on the people who need assistance" from the administrations and not on "specific institutional visits." In his opinion, it is key that the reception and asylum processing devices involve the ministries of Defense and Interior in a coordinated manner along with the autonomous communities.
Budgets and controversy over Ayuso's penthouse
In the economic sphere, Barbero has guaranteed that "there will be general state budgets" and has explained that Sumar is currently negotiating with the PSOE with the aim of approving "strong" accounts that prioritize housing, social rights, and the fight against child poverty. In addition, he has urged the coalition partner to push forward after the summer the royal decree law on housing, in order to prevent the proliferation of tourist apartments from continuing to strain rental prices in large cities.
Finally, regarding the controversy over the penthouse acquired by the Community of Madrid as an office for President Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the leader of Sumar has interpreted that the expression "chao pescao" shows that the regional leader "has been caught with the ice cream cart," and has reiterated the need for the Madrid president to provide detailed explanations about this operation.