Gathering of friends of the PP in Washington DC

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first democratic elections in Spain, a group of members and friends of the People's Party of Spain, together with people of other political views but united in their desire for a better Spain, held a meeting in Washington DC on June 14. This is the first time that an event of this nature takes place in the capital of the United States. Men and women representing a wide spectrum of Spanish society came together to celebrate democracy in Spain, express their concern for the policies of the current socialist govenment, and explore the possibility of establishing a local branch of the People's Party of Spain in the Washington DC area.

Three people spoke at the event:

• Carlos Serrano, the organizer, gave a historical overview of the period known as "Transition" (from general Franco's dictatorship to democracy) under the governments of the UCD, PSOE and PP administrations. He explained that the success of the Spanish people in its quest for liberty was based on a wide consensus among all political parties and social organizations. He also warned of the real danger of the ill-conceived policies of the current socialist administraton, which put at risk the hard fought, internationally recognized achievements of the Transition
• Fernando Jiménez -who, among other responsibilities, was Provincial Governor of Salamanca, Oviedo, Biscay and Alava, and Government Delegate in Cantabria- praised the role played by president Suárez and called for civic reconciliation.
• Isabel Benjumea talked about her work in Washingto DC with the "Foro de Ermua", a Spanish civic organization that supports victims of the terrorist group ETA.

View some pictures of the event here.