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Madrid Boosts Latino Vote in Spain

Díaz Ayuso adelanta campaña para que extranjeros viajen a Madrid, EFE

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15 % of Madrid’s residents are of foreign origin. Almost half of these have obtained dual nationality, but the rest are registered residents who so far have not exercised their right to vote in municipal elections.

“And to the latter, we have to explain that if they want to, they can. Especially because we believe that the political bet of many of them is more conservative and favorable to the Popular Party (PP) than to other parties,” explained a leader of the PP in Madrid who needs to start informing and convincing these hypothetical voters.

In information published in the Spanish newspaper El Periódico, it is reported that the PP will take advantage of the festival of Hispanidad, which begins on October 4, to launch its campaign.

The newspaper also explains that non-citizen foreign voters who are registered in their municipalities can vote for the mayors of their municipalities, but only if they previously request their right to vote. And the deadline to be able to vote next May is January 2023. The 15th is for non-EU citizens and the 30th of the same month for EU citizens.

The latest report on the foreign population registered in the region, carried out by the Immigration Observatory of the Community, indicates that in the Madrid Region there are more than 1 million foreigners, 1,037,671. Almost 32% of them are of Latin origin and 22% are approximately from Eastern European countries. The members of the PP, for their part, are clear that these are their target audience. Especially the former, which is the population that has increased the most in recent years compared to residents from other countries.

The foreign population of Hondurans, Venezuelans, Colombians, and Peruvians are the ones that have grown the most in Spain, according to the report.

“All accents fit in Madrid,” is the slogan of the festival of Hispanidad organized by the Autonomous Region of Madrid between October 4 and 12. And the party that supports the Government, the Popular Party, wants to make a call to all of them to take advantage of the festive atmosphere of the musical, gastronomic, or theatrical activities.

That same week will probably begin the informatory campaign in which they will combine a double message: that they must register to be able to exercise their right to vote in the municipal elections and that their vote should go to the conservative party.

The Popular Party and Vox have made a banner of the anti-Bolivarian speech, since talking about Venezuela, Cuba or Bolivia has served them as the back of their photos to show their rejection of the policies of these countries.

The PP’s need to attract foreigners and convince them to register and apply to vote is based on the little weight that these potential voters have had so far, but confident, they point out in the party, that their cause is more successful among this part of the population than that of the progressives.

“Venezuelan residents, Cubans, and those from Eastern countries tend to have a conservative vote, however, they are little involved in the elections that take place in our country,” confirms Gad3’s Research Director, Javier Siria.

Siria explains that, although it is difficult to know what foreigners vote for, the qualitative studies they have carried out show that their origin influences their vote. That is to say, those who have left their countries fleeing from Bolivarian policies or communist past do tend to have a more conservative vote in Spain they identify with the PP.

However, he argues that those from countries where left-wing populism has not been the dominant note in recent decades, such as Colombia or Peru, may tend to have a vote closer to the left.

The director of Public Opinion of Ipsos, José Pablo Ferrándiz, considers that it is impossible to be very conclusive about the tendency of foreigners to vote.

“Years ago, the vote of residents coming from the East could be more related to conservatives because of the dictatorships their countries have suffered,” he points out.

Regarding Latinos, Ferrándiz believes that most of them come to the country with little purchase power, so their economic situation in Spain is what could condition their vote.

In any of the scenarios, experts warn that the participation of foreigners in the elections is scarce and cannot be expected to cause a turnaround in any direction.


This article is part of an agreement between El American and El Nacional.

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