Madrid Electoral Candidate Pablo Iglesias Receives Death Threat
The former Deputy Prime Minister and current Unidas Podermos candidate in the Madrid regional elections, Pablo Iglesias is among several leading left wing politicians who have received death threat letters including bullets in the post.
The death threats were also sent to María Gámez, head of the Spanish Civil Guard as well as the Socialist ( PSOE) Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska.
The anonymous letter, postmarked April 19 reads: “Pablo Iglesias Turrión, you let our parents and grandparents die. Your wife, your parents and you are sentenced to the death penalty. Your time has run out.”
Iglesias tweeted a picture of the letter and four 7.62 mm bullets,writing:“The Interior Ministry has received a letter addressed to me containing death threats against me and my family.”
“This is just another consequence of normalizing and whitewashing the hate speech of the far right. And it is also a consequence of impunity,” adding that there has yet to be a “single arrest” over the Molotov cocktail attack on the Unidas Podermos headquarters in Cartagena earlier this month.
In addition, Iglesias highlighted that a former member of the Spanish Legión, had “got off scot-free” after firing live ammunition at photographs at members of the PSOE – Unidas Podermos coalition government, as well as the lack of judicial action against former Spanish officers who had called for a “culling” of politicians and up to 26 million “red Spaniards”.
Maria Gámez the first female head of the Civil Guard also received a letter saying:”You have 10 days to resign. The days of laughing at us are over. National Police. Civil Guard. Time is not on your side for the taponazos ( loud gunshot or explosive sound).”
The investigation of who sent the letters is underway with likely avenues of enquiry being former military personnel – especially considering that the bullets sent were formerly standard issue for the Spanish army.
