Vox absent from Blas Infante tribute; left criticises PP coalition

Vox's absence from the annual commemoration of Blas Infante, the "father of the Andalusian homeland," is not new, but this year it carries particular weight as the far-right party has just entered the Andalusian government in coalition with the PP.

The absence and justification

• Vox's parliamentary spokesperson and future vice-president, Manuel Gavira, reiterated that "la Andalucía que nosotros queremos no es la que representa Blas Infante" Source: ABC, consistent with their long-standing refusal to recognise Infante, whom they have called a "lunático separatista" Source: El Confidencial.
• Gavira stressed his party remains "fiable, estable y predecible" and will not change its line now that it is in government Source: Infobae.

Left's reproach

• Opposition leaders used the act to denounce the PP-Vox pact. PSOE's María Jesús Montero warned that "vuelven discursos que desprecian la memoria, cuestionan el autogobierno, ridiculizan la historia común" Source: Infobae.
• Adelante Andalucía's José Ignacio García went further: "Hoy, el presidente… lo es gracias, entre otras cosas, a pactar derogar la ley que permitiría encontrar el cuerpo de Blas Infante" Source: Infobae.
• Por Andalucía's Rosa María Rodríguez said it is "contradictorio homenajear su figura al mismo tiempo que se asumen planteamientos que presentan la inmigración como una amenaza" Source: Infobae.