James Warren
RADICAL Conservative party Vox has issued a ‘warm’ welcome to British pianist James Rhodes after he was granted Spanish nationality by the government.
Rhodes took to social media on December 29 to announce the news that Pedro Sanchez and the Spanish government has granted him Spanish citizenship after years living in Madrid.
In a statement by the vice leader Pablo Iglesias, Rhodes was granted citizenship for the tireless work towards improving rights for sexual abuse victims, a matter close to the pianists heart.
Since the news broke, right-wing politicians quickly jumped on Rhodes after he announced the news of his new homeland on social media.
Former journalist and Basque Country Communist politician Hermann Tertsch laid into the London born maestro and lamenting the government for putting Rhodes at the front of the ‘queue’.
“James Rhodes’ greatest merit in receiving Spanish nationality has been to threaten Santiago Abascal with a violent attack.”
“Thousands of Venezuelans and citizens of brother countries who deserve nationality and even residence are decent and peaceful. They are in line.” said Tertsch.
Vox party leader Santiago Abascal soon retweeted Tertsch and added, “They no longer hide their tyrannical ways.” he said, referring to Sanchez and the government.
“His friend is given nationality, as a reward for the hatred he has for half of the Spanish people and a person persecuted by Maduro is denied asylum, and if they can, they will hand him over to Venezuela, to be killed there.”
Abascal is referring to the thousands of Venezuelans fleeing the dictatorship of President Nicolas Maduro and coming to Spain to seek asylum.
Rhodes soon responded and appeared to take the criticism in his stride, firmly putting Abascal in his place.
“Ay Santi. No. I hate xenophobia, racism, homophobia, exploitation of the weak, machismo, sexual violence.
Men like you, with inferiority complexes and thirst for power, are boring stereotypes. You treat our (yes, our) country with disdain and contempt.
Happy New Year, man.”
“You have many more followers than I do, even if almost half of them are fake. But look – I have more of a following in 3 hours than he got in 23 hours. Where is your ‘half of the Spaniards’, your brave warriors and martyrs to your noble cause colleague?” said Rhodes.
Vox spokeswoman and representative in Congress Macarena Olona took the criticism one step further and outright threatened the pianist with extradition.
“Revoke the Spanish nationality granted by ideology will not be hatred. It will be Law and Order. With a simple Royal Decree. #Patience” she said.
Rhodes has been a long time critic of Vox’s policies and has campaigned feverishly to amend the current laws regarding the sexual abuse of minors.
As a child, Rhodes was subject to abuse at the hands of a PE teacher in his former hometown, a time that caused him years of illness, mental anguish and physical pain.
In February 2020, a new law, named ‘Rhodes Law’ after the 44-year-old, was passed in Congress granting more rights to victims of abuse and improving the aftercare needed to help with the mental trauma suffered.
