Chief Of Defence Staff Resigns After Controversial Covid Vaccine

SPAIN’S Chief of Defence Staff resigns after controversial Covid vaccine

The Chief of Defence Staff (JEMAD), General Miguel Ángel Villarroya, made the decision to tender his resignation on Saturday, January 23 and Defence Minister, Margarita Robles, confirmed that she has accepted it. Mr Villarroya has been at the centre of a controversy which saw more than 100 senior officials and politicians receive the Covid vaccine at the beginning of January, despite the fact that they are not part of the priority groups supposed to be first to receive the jabs.

The Chief has staunchly defended his actions and insisted that he took no “unjustifiable privileges”, and the Defence Staff (EMAD) added that he had resigned his post “with a clear conscience.” In his letter of resignation, General Villarroya claimed that he “has tried to be honest and dominated by the spirit of service and of love to Spain.”

General Villarroya received the Covid jab along with several other military officials, including commander of the Operations Command, General Francisco Braco, and head of the Joint Chief of Staff, Garcia Gonzalez-Valerio. Also on Saturday, the Ministry of the Interior dismissed a Guardia Civil officer who acted as liaison in the Defence General Staff (EMAD) for accepting the vaccine ahead of time.

In his letter, the General added that he “has always endeavoured to serve as an example to his subordinates and to do the right thing.” He reiterated that he was resigning because he felt he had done anything wrong, but rather to “not damage” the reputation of the Armed Forces.

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