Inocencio Arias (Almería, 1940) breaks with the cliché of the stuffy diplomat. Popularly known as Checho, he was spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with UCD, PP and PSOE, representative of Spain to the UN and Secretary of State for Cooperation. But also an actor, in films by Garci or Berlanga, and general director of Real Madrid, which has made him one of the most famous ambassadors of our democracy. Retired since 2010 and faithful to his unmistakable bow tie, he gives his unequivocal opinion on the crisis that Ceuta has been going through since the end of July, Sánchez's relationship with Morocco or Mourinho's new white era.
We asked the first guest of the second season of the podcast Reading the newspaper 20minutos for a headline about this summer, loaded with information, from Spain's victory in the World Cup to the heat waves or the fire crisis. "Ceuta, without a doubt. It is probably the biggest crisis that Spain has suffered after the two coups d'état, that of Tejero (in 1981) and that of the Catalan secessionists (2017)," says Arias.
The former Spanish diplomat questions who is behind the irregular entry of 80,000 people into the autonomous city. "I would not accuse Morocco directly because we have no evidence. But that they have consented to it, I have no doubt. And what the Government says that the Spanish or Moroccan information services were not aware of, that is already nonsense, science fiction," he criticizes.
On Sánchez's concessions to Morocco: "He must have a conversation that is politically disastrous for the president
Checho, however, does not understand why the President of the Government exonerates Morocco. "It is not permissible for me to say to the European Community: 'Morocco has nothing to do with the issue.' Why?" The veteran analyst also does not believe the diplomatic turn in the autonomy of Western Sahara, when in 2022 the Executive considered the Moroccan proposal as the most serious and credible. "Why, without consulting parliament, neither his party nor the king, and departing from that of the UN, does he say that it must be categorically Moroccan? What happened there?"
The former ambassador suspects that, through espionage with Pegasus, Morocco was able to "catch a politically disastrous conversation from Sánchez" with which to pressure him. "For example, and now I am assuming, that Sánchez talks to Illa and tells him, 'President [of the Generalitat of Catalonia] tell those from Esquerra and those from Puigdemont to be patient because I am going to allow them a referendum.' "That phrase could take away many votes."
In any case, Arias does not doubt that "Sánchez agreed tomorrow with Morocco on co-sovereignty. And in 8 or 10 years, it would be a Moroccan city. But it must have an electoral cost and the president does not care about money, but kills for power. Furthermore, he believes that the chief executive is vetoing Felipe VI's trip to Ceuta. "The king has to go to Ceuta tomorrow morning, but Sánchez won't let him: there is no other possibility. I have traveled with the head of state and you can say that he is tall, short, handsome or ugly, but that he likes Spain, there is no doubt. Felipe is dying to go to Ceuta, but Sánchez vetoes it because he is scared by Morocco's reaction," he denounces.
Asked about the 2030 World Cup final, with the main venues of Spain, Portugal and Morocco, Arias does not hesitate. "Who has more stadiums? Who has more hotel capacity? Who has won two World Cups and three European Championships? Spain, Spain and Spain. Morocco has a title that was given to them treacherously because the match was won by Senegal." And he warns: "If Morocco uses all the procedures, including making the money flow, the final will still end there."
The 2030 World Cup final must be held in Spain." Real Madrid is better than last season, but...
With his Real Madrid, which he cheers on every weekend from the Santiago Bernabéu, Checho is excited, but also cautious. "I see it better, but it still doesn't convince me. You have to give it 5 or 6 more games. Now the team is more vertical and faster, but it is still lacking. We need a good right winger like [Yan] Diomande to play," he points out, to round off the podcast: "Last year, I bet two dinners that Madrid would not win any titles and Pedro Sánchez would not leave. I won them. This year, I think Sánchez won't leave either and I don't know about the titles..."
