Irene Lozano, head of the Spanish government's public relations unit Global Spain, apparently lost her cool on Twitter while attempting to defend the video that the Spanish justice ministry has released to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the World War Two liberation of Paris from the Nazis. Lozano directly attacked the Catalan president Quim Torra and accused him of having a "hatred for Spain".
The Spanish Ministry of Justice's Twitter account had paid tribute to the Spanish soldiers of La Nueve company who contributed to the defeat of Hitler, also asserting that Spain as a country had played "a crucial role" in the demise of the Third Reich.
España tuvo un papel crucial en la liberación de @Paris hace 75 años. Los soldados españoles de #LaNueve fueron los primeros en entrar en #París y su contribución a este hecho histórico fue fundamental #LiberationdeParis🇫🇷@MAECgob @EspanaGlobal @EmbEspFrancia pic.twitter.com/1jxVFFQgfO
— Ministerio Justicia (@justiciagob) August 23, 2019
Translation:
"Spain played a crucial role in the liberation of @Paris 75 years ago. The #LaNueve Spanish soldiers were the first to enter # Paris and their contribution to this historical event was fundamental." — Spanish Ministry of Justice
Catalan president Quim Torra responded, recalling that Francisco Franco's government had in fact supported Hitler.
Lamento haver de precisar que el paper espanyol a la II GM fou l’enviament de milers de soldats de la División Azul a lluitar al costat de Hitler (1941-1943). Els soldats republicans de La Nueve continuaven lluitant precisament contra el feixisme i l’Espanya del dictador Franco. https://t.co/Qk7qPrnj7Q
— Quim Torra i Pla (@QuimTorraiPla) August 24, 2019
"I am sorry to have to point out that the Spanish role in WWII was to send thousands of soldiers of the Blue Division to fight alongside Hitler (1941-1943). The Republican soldiers of La Nueve carried on fighting precisely to oppose fascism and oppose the Spain of the dictator Franco." — Quim Torra, Catalan president
Apparently, Lozano did not share Torra's opinion and she tweeted back:
La historia de un país no es sólo la de su estado.
— Irene Lozano (@lozanoirene) August 24, 2019
No use la memoria y la dignidad de los republicanos exiliados españoles como elemento para seguir propagando su odio a España, por favor. https://t.co/0hU5gYTxFb
"The history of a country is not just that of its state. Do not use the memory and dignity of the exiled Spanish Republicans as an element to continue propagating your hatred for Spain, please." — Irene Lozano, head of Global Spain
Lozano's message quickly received responses of its own due to its "lack of historical rigor".
Por eso consideráis todavía algunos maquis como terroristas... Claro. https://t.co/wlemHNpy0D
— Biel Figueras (@Rincewindcat) August 24, 2019
"That's why you still consider some of the 'maquis' to be terrorists... of course."— Biel Figueras
[The 'maquis' were anti-Franco guerrillas, many ex-Republican soldiers, who continued fighting the dictatorship after the end of the Spanish Civil War]
Irene, te recomiendo unos dias de vacaciones. Con perspectiva y descanso se interpreta mejor la realidad.
— Jesús Rodríguez (@albertmartnez) August 24, 2019
"Irene, I suggest you take a few days vacation. With perspective and rest, reality can be interpreted more clearly."— Jesús Rodríguez
Que esta ignorante sepa qué era, por ejemplo, el batallón Gernika, que participó en la guerra con los aliados y entró con Leclerc en Paris, mientras en España fusilaban republicanos, y también al President Companys, será demasiado pedir. https://t.co/LijEfICiWA pic.twitter.com/M2JempypKG
— Gorka Knörr (@GorkaKB) August 24, 2019
"For this ignorant person to know what, for example, the Gernika battalion was, which fought in the war alongside the allies and entered with Leclerc in Paris, while in Spain they were shooting Republicans, and also [Catalan] president Companys, would be too much to ask." — Gorka Knörr