Spanish far-left pushes for increased aid to Polisario amid U.S. funding cuts
The Spanish far-left is rallying behind the Polisario Front amid the prospect of reduced U.S. financial aid. The Trump administration has decided to cut funding for USAID, the public agency that provides the Front with millions of dollars annually.
On Tuesday, lawmakers from the United Left (Izquierda Unida), part of the Sumar coalition, submitted a bill urging the government to increase aid to the Polisario Front.
«This proposal is not just a response to a humanitarian crisis but also a political statement reaffirming Spain's historical ties with the Sahrawi people. The United Left aims to pressure the government to ensure this population, exiled for nearly fifty years, is not abandoned», wrote a left-wing Spanish media outlet on Tuesday, March 18.
The House of Representatives is expected to debate this initiative in the coming weeks. Its introduction coincides with the third anniversary of a letter from Pedro Sanchez to King Mohammed VI, published on March 18, 2022, by the royal cabinet. In the letter, Sanchez declared that Morocco's autonomy plan for the Sahara was «the solution» to the conflict— a stance officially reiterated in the Joint Declaration of April 7, 2022, following discussions in Rabat between the monarch and Sanchez.
The Spanish prime minister has frequently emphasized that Spain is the largest international donor of humanitarian aid for the Tindouf camps. This assistance, which amounted to €7 million in 2023, has increased to €12 million in 2024. Spain's 17 autonomous regions also allocate substantial budgets to support this population.
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