Podemos and independentistas criticize the King for not standing up to the passing of Bolívar's sword in Colombia

Gustavo Petro demanded the presence of the sword in his oath as president and the other guests did stand up

Members of Podemos and representatives of Catalan independence parties have censured King Felipe VI for remaining seated at the inauguration of Gustavo Petro as president of Colombia during the passage of Simón Bolívar's sword, the mythical combat weapon used by the so-called ' Liberator' in the war of independence against Spain.

In a video that circulates on social networks, it can be seen how the King remains seated and does not applaud, unlike other authorities, when a group of soldiers carries Bolívar's back, whose presence at the inauguration had been claimed by himself. Petro.

Given this, the spokesman for United We Can in Congress, Pablo Echenique, has criticized the "lack of respect" that, in his opinion, the monarch has practiced by being "the only one who remains seated before the sword of Bolívar, who represents the independence and sovereignty of so many Latin American peoples who are no longer vassals". "What a lack of respect. Then why do the far-rightists of Vox like this king so much?" he has written on social networks.

Along these lines, the deputy spokesperson for United We Can in Congress and deputy for Galicia in Common, Antón Gómez-Reino, has denounced in a message on his Twitter profile the "Bourbon shame" of this act. "The shame that a man who is neither democratically elected nor knows how to respect the democracy of other countries makes us suffer," he added.

According to Juan Carlos Monedero, former leader of the purple party, it is "sad" that the King remains seated "when all the decent people of Colombia vibrate on their feet" at the passing of the sword. "The brave generals, even when they are defeated, pay homage to those who have defeated them in a fair fight," Monedero censures, asking for "respect."

"The presidential inauguration in Colombia is on August 7 by constitutional norm. The defeat of the Spanish army in Boyacá, independence, is commemorated. The representative of Spain, Felipe VI, should know what he was going to do. His obligation was to avoid a diplomatic rudeness", wrote the deputy of United We Can Enrique Santiago.

Likewise, the former Vice President of the Government has indicated on Twitter that Felipe VI "did not represent the House of Bourbon today; he represented Spain." "That makes the lack of respect for a symbol of freedom in Latin America even more serious. Hopefully Spain will soon be represented by a president of the Republic voted for by the citizens," he said.

More forceful has been the ERC deputy in Congress Jordi Salvador, falling into the insult in a Twitter message picked up by Europa Press: "He is an unpresentable worthy heir to many unpresentable. A man who has given up being a person for being a worthy successor of a coup, corrupt and pro-fascist monarchy", attacks the ERC parliamentarian, who calls the episode "unfortunate".

For his part, the ERC spokesman in Congress, Gabriel Rufián, has also spoken about Felipe VI's gesture of not standing up to Bolivar's sword. "He had read guillotine", the pro-independence politician has put in a brief message on his Twitter profile.

Also the leader of Junts Josep Rull criticizes the attitude of Felipe VI in Bogotá. "Pathetic. And, also, revealing", disfigures the pro-independence politician, who is part of the group of Catalan politicians pardoned by the Government.

"What a piece of paper! They send this man to represent his State and he ends up ridiculing him before the international community. What is a king for?", Questioned, for his part, the EH Bildu deputy Jon Inarritu.

ALBARES WAS ALSO

The King attended this Sunday on behalf of Spain at the inauguration of Petro accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares.

The presence of Bolívar's sword at the swearing-in as president was Gustavo Petro's first order after taking office as president. The sword is a historical piece that has great symbolic value for the Colombian president, since it was the one stolen by the M-19 guerrilla, to which Petro himself belonged, as the first act of insurgency. When the group reached a peace agreement with the government of Virgilio Barco, the sword was returned and transferred to the Quinta de Bolívar.

President Iván Duque showed it to Petro when they met after his victory in the presidential elections and at that moment Petro stated his intention that the sword be used as a symbolic element during the acts of possession.

Petro's victory at the polls was historic for the left, which for the first time gains access to the Casa de Nariño, seat of the Colombian Presidency. The candidate for the Historical Pact presented himself with a platform focused on a radical change in Colombia's economic model, moving away from oil and coal.