Puente reproaches Felipe VI for his photo with ultra-agitator Javier Negre: "His image is contaminated and the subject's is cleaned"

Óscar Puente explained this Tuesday why he considers it an "absolute ignominy" that Felipe VI greeted and accepted to be photographed with the ultra agitator Javier Negre during the inauguration of the new president of Colombia. The Minister of Transport has warned that the King's image "is contaminated" while Negre's is whitewashed by a photograph that he already uses to boast of closeness to the Crown.

The scene occurred last Friday in Cali. Negre approached the Monarch, shook his hand, exchanged a few words with him, and asked to pose together. Felipe VI agreed and the agitator later disseminated the video on Instagram under the message "a pleasure to meet His Majesty again." He took advantage of the publication to launch his own political campaign on Ceuta, speak of a supposed "invasion of illegals" and accuse Pedro Sánchez of preventing a visit from the King.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Javier Negre (@javier.negre)

Puente initially censored the scene with a direct message. "This situation seems like an absolute ignominy to me," he wrote on Monday. Faced with criticism from the right, the minister elaborated on Tuesday the four reasons that support his position. He recalled that Negre has "repeatedly and seriously" insulted Queen Letizia, has also attacked Felipe VI, and acts as a "professional of defamation and hoaxes."

The fourth reason points to his political activity. Puente has defined Negre as "a far-right activist who harasses progressive politicians and their families," including the minister's own family. The Minister of Transport believes that the King's symbolic status requires careful consideration of photographs and greetings that occur outside of an institutional relationship.

"The King is a symbol and it is not innocuous who he is photographed with or who he greets in a context that is not protocolary, nor part of any institutional relationship," he defended. "His image is contaminated and that of the subject he is photographed with is cleaned. And both things are unacceptable."

The criticism gains particular force due to the attacks Negre has previously directed against the Crown. After the funeral for the Adamuz train accident, he even wrote that Spain had a queen who was "a disgrace." He has also accused Felipe VI of acting as a "puppet of Sánchez," words that clash with the reverential tone now used to promote his photograph with the Monarch.

Negre has responded with an extensive message in which he boasts of having supported political leaders from Hispanic America through his media and assures that he speaks directly with several presidents. He also states that he attended the Colombian ceremony as a businessman, claims that officials from the Royal Household allowed his approach because they knew who he was, and presents the pose as recognition of the supposed influence of his channels.

The agitator has used his response to attack the Government again, accuse Moncloa of pressuring the Crown, and once again lash out at Letizia, whom he links to a profession that, according to him, is "devoted to sanchismo." All this while proclaiming himself a monarchist and defending that his photograph shows that Felipe VI wants to be "the King of all".

The exchange continued after Negre asserted that the true ignominy was that Felipe VI had to greet representatives of a "corrupt" Government. Puente responded with six words: "There is only one truth in your tweet. That you are a virus."

The PP has come out in defense of Negre and has attacked the minister. Its Secretary General, Miguel Tellado, has diverted the controversy towards the migratory situation in Ceuta and Sánchez's holidays. The far-right Vox has remained silent. Zarzuela has also not clarified whether Felipe VI knew who the person asking for that photograph was.