The future US ambassador to Spain promises to “make Sánchez understand” his “big mistake” in not complying with the 5%

The American businessman Benjamin Leonproposed by Donald Trump, as ambassador to Spain, assured this Thursday that he will work with the Government of Pedro Sanchez to “make him understand” that missing NATO’s 5% defense spending target is “a big mistake.”

“I will work diligently with the Government of Spain to make it understand that It is a serious mistake“León declared during his confirmation hearing in the Senate.

“It’s really worrying that, after Mr. Pedro Sánchez committed in the meeting they had in France, I believe that before all European nations, including Spain, to reach 5%, he now affirms that they are only going to reach 2%,” he expressed.

León added that Spain “has always been a great partner of the United States and a great host” for the US armed forces, but insisted that he will work so that the Spanish Government “reverts that policy and fulfills the commitment.”

The Cuban-American trusted that Sánchez “conveys to the Spanish people how serious this problem is”: “It is not only worrying for the president of the United States, but also for Congress,” he added.

León was asked in his hearing by Republican Senator Jim Risch about the controversy over Spain’s defense spending, which Trump has recovered in recent weeks.

Last summer, after the alliance summit in The Hague, Spain reached an agreement with the organization to dedicate a maximum of 2.1% of its GDP to the military budget and have flexibility when it comes to meeting the 5% commitment, promoted by Trump.

Spain argues that it can meet the capabilities objectives assumed by the Alliance by investing only 2.1% of GDP – below the 3.5% that was considered the minimum scale at the Hague meeting – and NATO accepted the formula, although insisting that it will review these commitments periodically.

The Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, questioned this Wednesday in Washington that Madrid can meet the military objectives by investing less than 3.5%, but the President of the Spanish Government assured that his country complies with its obligations and has defended that Spain is a “reliable” partner.

Benjamín León was proposed last January by the Republican as US ambassador to Spain. 80 years old, León was defined by Trump as “a very successful businessman, equestrian and philanthropist” who came to the United States at the age of 16 from his native Cuba.

The businessman founded the Cuban Association Clinic (CAC) with his father, but they ended up selling it and in 1996 he founded Leon Medical Centers (LMC), which provides services to beneficiaries of the public health system.

The nominee is a historic donor to the Republican Party. In 2015, he donated $2.5 million to the presidential campaign of the current Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, also of Cuban origin.

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