Marlaska asks to wait for the internal investigations into the actions in Lavapiés before drawing conclusions

MADRID, 1 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, asked this Monday to wait for the internal investigations of the National Police and the Ministry before drawing conclusions about the police action in the Madrid neighborhood of Lavapiés this weekend.

The department headed by Grande-Marlaska has opened an ex officio investigation through its National Office for the Guarantee of Human Rights (ONGADH) regarding the police action, in case it reveals an "alleged violation of fundamental rights." ". During the weekend, Sumar and other government partners asked for explanations, considering that racism was incurred due to the excessive force of the agents.

In statements to the media before presenting the new edition of Antonio Utrera's book 'The Thursday Days', on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the 11M attacks, the minister defended the "extraordinary work that the more than 156,000 men and women" of the National Police and the Civil Guard, who "protect a space of security for all of us" in which "we can exercise our rights and freedoms."

Along these lines, Marlaska recalled that both the National Police and the Ministry of the Interior have opened an investigation within the Human Rights Guarantee Office, a body created in 2022 by the Government, as he specified, "in order to guarantee at all times" the actions of the State Security Forces and Bodies "in accordance with the regulations regarding fundamental rights and freedoms"

"These investigations will be carried out, as they should be and as appropriate, and in their development the necessary conclusions will be drawn," the minister concluded.

Questioned about the criticism from the police unions, who point out that the agents are not being protected, Marlaska responded that the Government of Pedro Sánchez has taken into account the protection "at all times" of the State Security Forces and Bodies.

In this sense, the minister has defended that "the best way to protect them" is to "increase the workforce", from "142,000 to 156,000 agents"; also increasing their salaries "by more than 38%" or investing in infrastructure, as the Executive has done in the last five years, he explained.

"With all this, we really guarantee and give a more than reasonable framework for action to the State Security Forces and Bodies," he concluded.

Asked about the Government's announcement to take the Memory laws of the autonomous governments of PP and Vox to the Constitutional Court, the minister stressed that "if they do not reconsider" it is the "only possible way" because, for Marlaska, these autonomous regulations "violate democratic values". "It is a clear desire to whitewash the Franco dictatorship," he warned.

The Minister of the Interior has stated that he hopes that the Government of Aragon, specifically, reconsiders and annuls the law, thus avoiding having to resort to the Constitutional Court.