The PSOE designs an argument to exonerate Pedro Sánchez from the coronavirus crisis

• Direct. Last minute about the coronavirus crisis
• The map: the advance of the coronavirus in Spain
• Health: the centralization of medical equipment, the great fiasco of the coronavirus crisis

The Government has begun to accuse the criticisms of lack of foresight for its management in the coronavirus crisis and the PSOE has come to its aid. With the Executive enlisted in defending that the dimension of this emergency has been unpredictable, despite the fact that the situation in Italy has run parallel to that of Spain, with just over a week in advance, the socialist leadership has drawn up an argument that tries to maintain not only that there has been no lack of foresight, but that the Government anticipated.

Thus, he highlights that the declaration of state of alarm, which the Council of Ministers approved on March 14, was taken before other countries, when Spain had only 120 deaths, and that the measures have been more "drastic". In Italy, they point out, it was done with 366, in France with 148 and in the United Kingdom with 281.

Thanks to this, despite the fact that the death toll reached 14,555 this Wednesday, they have managed to reduce the daily increase in cases from 22% to 3%. "The measures that have been taken are in the right direction," maintains the leadership of the PSOE.

No action was taken "late"

This is the basis on which all the scaffolding is supported to protect the Government's actions, although with many gaps in the data provided. He did not act "late, in relation to the countries in his environment", and the management has been correct because, they argue, up to 34 orders and instructions have been issued to guarantee health care.

With the adhesion to the system of private healthcare and hotel facilities, medical equipment has been purchased for an amount of 845 million and manufacturing has been activated in Spain, public explanations have been given and action has been taken in nursing homes, one of the major foci of infection.

Reproaches Madrid

What tries to be purely technical information ends up distilling an open criticism to communities like Madrid , governed by the PP and turned into battering ram of the opposition to the Executive. The PSOE points out that President Pedro Sánchez has appeared in Congress, so has the Minister of Health, Salvador Illa, and four ministers do so daily in Moncloa, at two press conferences, morning and afternoon. In the Madrid Assembly, they say, "there is no activity, there are no regional government appearances, nor is registration open."

Madrid is also the object of the PSOE's darts in its explanation of the purchase of medical equipment. The communities, both the PP and the PSOE, denounced that the Government, after the decree of a state of alarm, prevented them from acquiring supplies for the sake of centralized action and days later they changed their minds.

The socialists point out that the autonomies have kept their powers at all times, but that while Galicia , the Basque Country, the Valencian Community, Catalonia, Navarra or Castilla-La Mancha made purchases "overcoming enormous difficulties", others such as the Community of Madrid "it took weeks", they hid that there was a "bottleneck" and they also accused the Executive of putting obstacles. "No material was ever requisitioned or any import blocked," they say, despite the fact that, for example, in Jaén masks were confiscated.

No shortage

The document refutes all the accusations of lack of collaboration with the regions and ensures that the government distributed material long before the state of alarm was decreed. Until March 14, "414,000 masks" and "other protective equipment from March 10", they detail, despite the fact that it is what Madrid spends in just two days.

"We were cautious and joined forces with the European Union to participate in all purchases of medical supplies," he says. In no case are criticisms taken for shortages or for not having listened to the EU or the WHO . "Spain, following the advice of the experts, anticipated and prepared as much as possible, with the recommendations that came from European organizations and other international bodies," said the document, which is also headed by laudatory statements to Spain. of WHO leaders.

In the supposed good preparation of Spain in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, no reference is made to the authorization of demonstrations such as 8-M throughout the country, to massive events such as that of Vox or to the holding of sports competitions.

Disobey WHO

All the claims made by the World Health Organization that do not fit the Government are deleted. Like when its CEO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , said on February 27 that one had to act aggressively and ask if "we have enough medical oxygen, ventilators and other vital equipment." This "will make the difference between one case and 100."

"If the answer is no, your country has a gap that this virus will exploit. Even developed countries might be surprised," he said. Only three lines are devoted to complying with the WHO recommendations. According to the PSOE, on January 30, Spain was already doing everything it said.

Carrying out a test

The socialist argument does not directly allude to the purchase of fraudulent tests in China and tries to deny that they did not work. He points it out as if it were false, despite the questioning of the health personnel. He maintains that the Government has implemented a strategy based on performing PCR , the most reliable diagnostic tests to detect the coronavirus. But it does not point out that the companies that manufacture PCR in Spain were not warned until March 15 that they did not export their production.

In a February 12 report, the WHO already advised countries to prepare to do "large-scale testing." And on March 16, its CEO insisted that "test, test, test" should be done. Therefore, 22 days ago, the WHO publicly pointed out that if massive tests were not carried out, "the cases could not be isolated and the chain of infection would not be broken," which is exactly what the Government intends to do now.

Transparency

The number of appearances of Pedro Sánchez before the media on seven occasions, and in Congress, three, stands out; of the technical committee, daily, and of the ministers. But there is no reference to the fact that the government has had to change the system of the press conferences so that journalists can ask directly and no issue is previously ruled out or filtered, or that pressure from the PP has forced it to resume the parliamentary activity in the Lower House, which was suspended with the justification of the limits to mobility imposed by the state of alarm.

Geriatric residences

In some regions, especially in Madrid and Catalonia, nursing homes accumulate a very high number of deaths. The Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation in the different territories. The PSOE emphasizes that "they are the responsibility of the communities" and that the Army has actively collaborated to disinfect them.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

• PSOE
• Pedro Sánchez
• Coronavirus
• Covid 19
• Salvador Illa

InterviewPablo Casado: "I will support Sánchez to save lives, not to ruin Spain"

Politics Quim Torra warns that "it will continue taking the measures" that it considers against the coronavirus

PoliticsThe Government, before the end of its world