Once hailed as a leader of Spain’s radical left, Pablo Iglesias Turrión has now become a fallen politician clinging to relevance through incendiary anti-Moroccan populist rhetoric on Sahara.
The former leader of Podemos, who rose to prominence in 2014 promising to sweep away Spain’s “corrupt caste,” has long been a vocal advocate for the Polisario separatist militias and has turned a blind eye on the group’s crimes both within Algeria and outside it.
His party’s electoral program even called for full diplomatic recognition of the self-declared Polisario entity which is backed by Algeria and widely viewed as a proxy militia. That stance earned Iglesias plaudits in Algiers, generous media exposure, and, according to Spanish press, discreet financial support.
Iglesias cultivated an image of false defiance by fixating on Morocco while branding his own government as a “traitor” to Sahrawis, and railing against the Spanish monarchy.
His confrontational style, peppered with insults toward journalists and rivals, fractured Podemos internally and alienated moderate voters.
By 2021, the party stagnated at 7% in Madrid’s regional elections. Iglesias admitted defeat and abruptly quit politics, amid swirling allegations of financial irregularities and misuse of public funds involving his partner, then-minister Irene Montero.
Today, Iglesias presides over Canal Red, an online TV channel where he hosts “La Base,” a talk show steeped in ideological polemics and anachronism. His favorite theme? The Polisario. In November 2025, days after the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2797 urging restraint, Iglesias urged the separatist group to “take up arms” against Morocco, inciting violence and terrorism.
Iglesias has never set foot in the Sahara or the Polisario-run camps. His narrative mirrors Algeria’s talking points, amplified by European far-left networks in search of a cause. For many in Spain, he has become a caricature, or rather a man playing with the fire of armed conflict, oblivious to the human cost.
His stance is that of defending the legacy of colonialism and colonial borders just like Algeria’s.
