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The PSOE and the Government have chosen to make disappear José Luis Ábalos, Minister of Transportation and Secretary of Organization of the PSOE, from the public agenda in an attempt to ease the political crisis opened by his unofficial meeting with the vice president of the Chavez regime of Nicolás Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez , on the runways of Barajas airport . Ábalos denied at first this interview, advanced by the digital newspaper Voz Populi , and then has been giving successive versions that have only enlarged the impact of this fact. Finally it has been decided to remove it from the public focus.

Today it was not he who appeared before the media after the meeting of the socialist leadership, although it is usual, and instead has offered the press conference the party president, Cristina Narbona. Nor has he attended the informative breakfast that the president of the Generalitat Valenciana , Ximo Puig, has starred in Madrid , although Ábalos comes from this socialist federation and serves as a Valencian minister in the Government.

Ministry sources also confirm that Ábalos has canceled an official trip to Bogotá to address transport issues with Spanish authorities and businessmen. The quote, they explain, "was subject to changes in the ministerial agenda." "The official trip has been postponed and will be done at another time," they say. Although the president of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, came to the aid of his minister and a man of confidence, the Socialists have not been able to prevent this matter from continuing to grow. Last night, in La Sexta, Ábalos punctuated his first stories and said for the first time Delcy Rodríguez changed planes in Barajas.

The lack of clarity on this issue, the constant changes in the version of what happened, the number of unanswered questions, have led the PSOE and the Government to close ranks to try to curb political erosion.

Narbonne has justified that a "new stage" begins after the formation of the Coalition Government the fact that she appeared and not Ábalos. And he has assured that the minister has given "enough explanations." Both the party and the Executive have been dedicated today to charge against the parties of the right -PP, Citizens and Vox- for their "unjustified criticism" and has accused them of lack of loyalty in foreign policy to drain the package.

But neither has the president of the PSOE been able to answer many of the questions that remain pending about Ábalos' meeting with Maduro's number two . At the meeting of the socialist leadership today in Ferraz , chaired by Pedro Sánchez, no additional information has been offered. And Narbonne has indicated that "he is not the right person" to explain the decisions of the Government. He did not want to enter why the plane that was taking Delcy Rodríguez was allowed to land in Barajas, since it was previously known that he was traveling on it. Nor to clarify how it could happen when the European Union sanctions against it and other Chavez leaders for "undermining democracy" also prevent transit to another destination through European territory. "I cannot answer why the ministry or the government made a decision or not regarding the trip of the vice president," he said.

The socialist president, who has supported Ábalos at all times, has simply said that "what had to be done was done so that this person did not enter Spanish territory." Although it has also avoided specifying what should be considered or not Spanish soil in airport spaces. "The European Commission will analyze in your case how Spain has proceeded in this case, although we believe that it has been done in good faith" so that they do not violate the EU sanctions.

Despite all its unknowns, the socialist leadership does not see any "self-criticism" necessary in this matter. Because, Narbona explained, the minister has acted "in accordance with our commitments to the EU" without forgetting that there is a "relationship with the Government of Venezuela, which today is still Mr. Maduro's and we must take care", despite the fact that Government has put forward "that what we want is a democratic election and that the trick of the president in charge Juan Guaidó be played". But, he added, until those elections arrive "there is a relationship between the Government of Spain and that of Venezuela" with their respective ambassadors. "What has been done is to be scrupulous to that relationship and I will adjust to the European mandate on restrictions on the Venezuelan vice president."

On what Rodriguez was coming to Spain, whether or not he had a meeting with Vice President Pablo Iglesias or with President Sánchez himself as some Venezuelan media have pointed out, Narbona has assured that the Federal Executive "has no information" on this.

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  • PSOE
  • Spain
  • Venezuela
  • Pedro Sanchez
  • Cristina Narbonne
  • José Luis Ábalos
  • Madrid

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