CONVOCATION 25 MARCH 2012: Confronting the “defense” policy of the Government in our country

The last Sunday of the month
in the Plaza Mayor (next to the horse statue) at 12:00 noon
Women in Black
invite you
to a vigil in black and in silence.
25th March 2012

Confronting the direction in which the “defense” policy of the Government in our country is headed

WOMEN IN BLACK OF MADRID AGAINST WAR

Are alarmed that the person who has been put at the head of the Ministry of Defense is Mr. Pedro Morenes, one of the Spaniards with the most personal interests in the weapons industry.

We have reasons to not trust that that this gentleman will concern himself with the real defense of the people of this country, but will, instead, seek to defend his personal interests in the defense industry.

We request:
♀ That Mr. Pedro Morenes be removed from his position as Minister of Defense.
♀ An increase in the budget for Education and Health, moving the budgetary reductions to the Ministry of Defense.

Let us expel war and violence
from History
and from our lives.

C/ San Cosme y San Damián, Nº 24, 2º
28012 - Madrid

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Confronting the direction in which the “defense” policy of the Government of our country is heading

Women in Black of Madrid against War are very concerned about the direction in which the “defense” policy of the government of our country is headed.

While austerity and reductions are implemented in other Ministries, mainly Education and Health, thus adversely affecting the rights that the Constitution bestows upon us to free education and medical care for all, the Ministry of Defense increases its budget.

We are also alarmed that the person who has been placed at the head of that Ministry is Mr. Pedro Morenes, one of the Spaniards who has the most personal interest in the weapons industry. Pedro Morenes has been president of MDBA (manufacturer of missiles), owner of Boguillas SL (“negotiation and representation of interests”), owner of I-Sec Iberica (“security” consultants), adviser to Gamo Outdoor (manufacturers of rifles), adviser to Aritex (design of components for military airplanes), president of Kuitber (consultants in “defense” and “security”), president of Segur Iberica (private “security”) and other companies related to the weapons industry (see Curriculum Mr. Morenés 2010). Among these companies is Instalanza, a cluster bomb factory in Zaragoza, which initiated a lawsuit against the State after Spain prohibited this type of especially criminal weapon; Instalanza is asking for 40 million euros indemnity for “general damages and loss of earnings” for prohibiting the manufacture of cluster bombs. In his new position as Minister of Defense, Mr. Morenes will be on both sides of the negotiations in this lawsuit becoming both interested party and judge.

With this life history we have reasons to not trust that this gentleman will concern himself with the real defense of the people of this country, rather, that he will instead defend his personal interests in the weapons industry.

Women in Black of Madrid against War want to know:

♀ What defense policy does the government formed by Mr. Rajoy want to create?
♀ Will the Spanish army be rearmed to an even greater extent because of the personal interests of the Minister of Defense? What guarantee can we have that Mr. Moranes will not put first his own interests and the interests of those around him? What sort of policies can a person with so many interests in this field make?

We request:

♀ The removal of the Minister of Defense, Mr. Pedro Morenes.
♀ An increase in the budget for Education and Health, moving the budgetary reductions to the Ministry of Defense.

Translation: Trisha Novak, USA