Two Spains receive Obama – People’s Daily Online

Spanish & gt; & gt; Latin America

UPDATED: 07/11/2016 – 10:56

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by Xulio Rios

MADRID, July 10 (Xinhua) – the provision of certain anti-American sentiment is one of the constants of contemporary Spanish society. In fact, before the visit of President Obama already they announced several calls for protests that will accompany its route through cities like Madrid or Cadiz.

The reasons for this predisposition not only related to episodes historically distant as the brief bilateral war of the late nineteenth century that brought about the loss of the last colonies of the empire (Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Guam), but above all, with the support of the United States to the dictatorship of General Franco (1939-1975) during the cold war.

United States as long champion of democracy, then obviated appeals preferred Republican exile and give their support of fascism that had fought during World war II.

this critical US sentiment surfaced with all its rawness during the invasion of Iraq earlier this century. The alignment of Spain with the United States provoked the ire of much of Spanish society, peace-loving and sovereignty of peoples and distrustful of the arguments exhibited by the White House to justify military intervention.

the rebuff of socialist President Zapatero to the American flag at the military parade on Columbus Day 2003 exemplified a position he shared the majority of Spanish citizens, contrary to the intervention in Iraq. This gesture roiled bilateral relations for years. Obama’s visit aims to close that chapter.

Spain and the United States maintains important relationships in economic and political order, but especially on defense. Despite the ups and downs in the relationship, cooperation has been maintained for decades. The United States has a base in Rota, who defends all NATO’s southern flank.

The navies of both countries enjoy the interoperability of their vessels under the common use of the AEGIS system, whose sale is only authorized by the US to very specific nations.

and do not forget that from Spain, today, Washington coordinates its operations to the northern and western Africa, with a response force joint crisis since Moron de la Frontera. A third base is in Torrejón.

The Spanish-American institutional assembly exhibits a solid scale, despite which persists in much of Spanish society a very critical view of American foreign policy, especially regarding the use of bases in Spain to intervene in armed operations in third countries.

If Obama’s goal on this trip is to underline the bilateral alliance on security and defense, the chapter more interest to Washington relationship is not likely to parallel get change public perceptions about the foreign policy of his country still exhibiting interventionism as one of its hallmarks.

Spain is experiencing a serious crisis. A good part of society would like to focus this issue on the bilateral agenda, providing measures to help improve the economic and social situation; however, civic concerns are in the background and once again Spain will subordinate their immediate needs US defense and NATO interests.

Obama arrived last night at the airbase of Torrejon de Ardoz, in Madrid, where he was received by king Felipe VI, on his first official visit to Spain, shorter than initially planned due to the killing of Dallas, and meets with political leaders today.

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