Podemos and its dark origins
There are clear ties between some of the party’s driving members and the Venezuelan and Iranian regimes
The Senate appearance yesterday by Juan Carlos Monedero, a founding member of Podemos, served to once again underscore the close ties between some of this political group’s driving forces and the Venezuelan and Iranian regimes.
Parliamentary investigation committees are not our political system’s strong point
This close relationship, which is both political and financial in nature, has been widely accredited through multiple manifestations: through the CEPS Foundation, which received significant funds from the Venezuelan government; and through the television program Fort Apache, which is hosted by Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias and financed by the Iranian government via its HispanTV channel.
The Senate Investigation Committee on Party Financing was unable to ascertain, as claimed by the Popular Party (PP) group, that Podemos financed itself with those funds. But nor was Juan Carlos Monedero able to provide a convincing explanation of why and for what purposes he received €425,000 to draft a report on Latin American monetary integration – a report whose existence he has never accredited, and which nobody has ever been able to consult, not even behind closed doors.
Monedero was unable to provide a convincing explanation of why and for what purposes he received €425,000
His confusing explanations on the matter had already caused Monedero to be pushed out of Podemos’ leadership, not so much for violating legal aspects of party financing, a claim that has not been proven, as for the complete lack of transparency and evident lack of sincerity on the part of a political leader.
As evidenced on numerous occasions in the past, parliamentary investigation committees are not our political system’s strong point. This one, which was called into being by the PP in order to conceal its own corruption scandals, received no cooperation from any other political group, and did not shed any light on the issue under investigation. Rather, it has simply served to perpetuate the existing confusion.
English version by Susana Urra.
