The spokesperson for Sumar in Congress and candidate for co-coordinator of the platform, Verónica Martínez Barbero, reiterated this Thursday that she does not imagine herself leading the list in the next general elections, although she admitted that there are political responsibilities to which one cannot "say no" out of "responsibility." At the same time, she rejected the "criticisms" made by former leader Lara Hernández, who denounced a "smear campaign" against her when she resigned from all her positions in Sumar last week.
In an interview on Radio Nacional, reported by Europa Press, the Galician deputy made these statements two days before Sumar's Assembly this Saturday, where the only registered list to lead the organization, which she shares with the Secretary of State for Social Rights, Rosa García, will be put to a vote.
When asked if she also aspires to be the electoral poster in future general elections, she emphasized that the decision on who will lead that candidacy will be made "collectively." "I believe there are issues to which you cannot say no out of responsibility, but, frankly, I am very sincere, I have never seen myself in that role," she stated.
In this regard, she stressed that the choice will fall to all the forces that make up Sumar, convinced that "the intelligence of several people or several organizations is far superior to that of each of its parts."
Assuming Responsibilities and Relationship with Yolanda Díaz
Barbero emphasized that her work is "teamwork" and recalled that she assumed the Spokesperson role for the plurinational group in Congress, after Íñigo Errejón's resignation, "out of responsibility" and at the request of both Vice President Yolanda Díaz and the rest of the organizations that make up Sumar.
When asked if she has sought advice from Díaz regarding her role in the leadership of Movimiento Sumar, the former Director General of Labor highlighted everything she has learned from whom she considers the "great reference" of the left that the organization represents. "She will continue with us," she assured.
Lara Hernández's Resignation and Sumar's Internal Life
Regarding the crisis opened by Lara Hernández's resignation, who left her responsibilities on July 1st after the workplace harassment complaint against her was dismissed, Barbero downplayed the drama of this internal situation.
She has limited herself to underlining that she does not share the "criticisms" made by Hernández, who spoke of an internal campaign to discredit her. "I have never commented on the procedures and I am not going to do so now, both out of respect for the people who make up the internal bodies and for those who are involved in them," she explained.
The leader added that all organizations go through difficult times and encounter "curves" in their journey. "All organizations have an internal life and in some it becomes external more frequently than in others. We are a very young organization, we are three years old, we are settling in," she pointed out, insisting that the essential thing is "not to lose sight of the objective" despite these "curves," which she said do not "worry her either as a leader or as a militant."
When asked if Saturday's conclave would serve to definitively resolve this latest crisis, the deputy indicated that what they will do is follow the roadmap approved unanimously by the coordinating group in March, which contemplates organic and political changes to consolidate Sumar's structure, reinforce its internal stability, and build "the broadest possible left-wing front" in order to "continue winning rights for citizens."
Building a broad left-wing front
For now, Sumar has reached an agreement to run in the general elections together with Izquierda Unida, the Comunes, and Más Madrid, but Barbero stressed that the objective remains to "build the broadest possible left-wing front to re-establish coalition governments at the state level and in all territorial areas."
In this context, she reiterated that Sumar aims to be the "big, open house of the left" and that they maintain "an outstretched hand" to all forces that wish to join. She also claimed the "fundamental role" that, in her opinion, the organization must play in that project, which she believes must be approached "with common sense and order." "We are experts in this business of uniting and negotiating and we have the necessary flexibility to reach agreements without losing sight of our priorities," she concluded.