Spanish Army Chief of Staff resigns after vaccine controversy

Spanish Chief of Staff General Miguel Angel Villaroya

The Spanish Army Chief of Staff, General Miguel Angel Villarroía, resigned on Saturday after he was accused of ignoring the protocol to receive the "Covid-19" vaccine, the General Staff announced in a statement.

"With the aim of preserving the image of the armed forces, General Villaroya submitted his resignation today to the Minister of Defense," the statement said, while a source in the General Staff said in response to a question to France Press that Defense Minister Margarita Robles had accepted the resignation.

A Spanish press investigation revealed that the Army Chief of Staff and a number of officials had obtained the vaccine, amid suspicions that influence would be used to bypass the waiting list.

The vaccination of military and political officials in Spain against "Covid-19", although they are not among the priority groups, sparked widespread controversy in the country.

On Friday evening, the Minister of Interior dismissed, with immediate effect, a senior lieutenant colonel, who is responsible for the Civil Guard’s liaison with the Army Staff, as a spokesman for this ministry announced to AFP on Saturday.

The high-ranking officer was dismissed after an internal report concluded that he received the vaccine without being a priority group.

Other staff members received a dose of the vaccine.

Besides the military, politicians from different parties received the first dose of the vaccine, without being also among the priority groups.

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