Spain: Police Detain Three in Probe into Murder Attempt on Politician
The Facts
Three people were detained in Spain on Tuesday as part of the investigation into the shooting in Madrid of Alejo Vidal-Quadras, 78, the former head of Spain's conservative People's Party in Catalonia, on November 9.
A British woman and her partner have been arrested in the town of Lanjaron, Grenada. In connection with that arrest, police apprehended another man in the Fuengirola, Malaga.
The Spin
Narrative A
While motives for the shooting are so far unknown, Vidal-Quadras’ divisive nature as a far-right politician must be acknowledged. It is of note that the shooting occurred mere hours after the politician revealed his opposition to a controversial coalition agreement in Spain, sparking a plethora of questions concerning the nature of the attack.
Narrative B
Contrary to beliefs concerning the role of national politics in Vidal-Quadras' shooting, evidence so far points to the politician's outspoken history of opposition against the Iranian government. Vidal-Quadras sits on Iran's watchlist, having formed relationships with a plethora of Iranian dissidents. While it is for the police to come to a conclusion over the incident, such factors are unlikely to be a mere coincidence.
