Lula offers solidarity after Spanish prime minister considers resignation

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) said on Thursday night (April 25, 2024) that he spoke with the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, after the Spanish leader announced that he was considering leaving office because of opening of a corruption investigation against his wife, Begoña Gómez.

“I spoke with Pedro Sánchez today to show solidarity with his leadership and role for a democratic Spain that is increasingly fair, prosperous and humane. Your strength and role are important for your country, for Europe and for the world”, wrote Lula on his profile on https://twitter.com/LulaOficial/status/1783622347456458933 (ex-Twitter).

Sánchez is a member of the center-left PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party). In November 2023, he was re-elected for his 3rd term with an absolute majority in the Parliament of Spain. In March of this year, Sánchez visited Brazil and met with Lula.

Sánchez’s wife is accused of influence peddling and corruption and will be investigated for allegedly using her position as first lady to obtain investment in a master’s degree course at the Complutense University of Madrid, of which she is director.

The accusation, accepted by a Madrid Court, was made by the organization Clean brothers (Clean Hands, in Portuguese), which claims to be “anti-corruption”.

At the https://twitter.com/sanchezcastejon/status/1783181535337734409/photo/4Sánchez stated that the accusations are based on fake news from “far-right newspapers”. He attributed the case to a maneuver by the PP (Popular Party) and Vox parties to weaken him politically and said that the action against his wife was premeditated.

“It is an operation of harassment and demolition by land, sea and air, trying to weaken me politically and personally, attacking my wife. I’m not naive. I am aware that Begoña is being reported not because she did something illegal, they know there is no case except being my wife. I am also fully aware that the attacks I suffer are not on me, but on what I represent: a progressive political option, supported election after election by millions of Spaniards, based on economic progress, social justice and democratic regeneration.”he wrote.