Latinos in Spain fight for their political life

Americas Now

Latinos living in Spain are an important voting bloc during elections. But they rarely get voted into political office themselves. Is it the result of racism? Correspondent Gerry Hadden reports from Madrid on the state of politics in Spain.

Despite hundreds of years of shared history and culture, even a common language, Latinos in Spain face hurdles entering politics. Many have run for office but Spain’s complex voting system means, they seldom win, even with the apparent support of the major political parties. The open secret here, some Latinos say, is that they’re used by political parties to win votes, but then held back by deeply rooted racism.

Domestically, Spain has finally formed a new government after nearly a year of elections ending in deadlock. Mariano Rajoy, of the center-right Popular Party, has narrowly avoided a third round of voting to stay on as Prime Minister. There are no Latinos in his new cabinet.

Gerry Hadden reports.
Follow Gerry Hadden on Twitter @gerryhadden

Latinos in Spain fight for their political life

Latinos living in Spain are an important voting bloc during elections. But they rarely get voted into political office themselves. Is it the result of racism? Correspondent Gerry Hadden reports from Madrid on the state of politics in Spain. Despite hundreds of years of shared history and culture, even a common language, Latinos in Spain face hurdles entering politics. Many have run for office but Spain’s complex voting system means, they seldom win, even with the apparent support of the major political parties. The open secret here, some Latinos say, is that they’re used by political parties to win votes, but then held back by deeply rooted racism. Domestically, Spain has finally formed a new government after nearly a year of elections ending in deadlock. Mariano Rajoy, of the center-right Popular Party, has narrowly avoided a third round of voting to stay on as Prime Minister. There are no Latinos in his new cabinet. Check out Gerry Hadden’s package here.