Spain on Thursday apologized for "institutional racism" in the country against people in the Roma ethnic community.
"I want to ask the gypsy people for forgiveness in the name of the government," said Second Deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias at an event in Madrid to commemorate the Nazi genocide against the community during World War II.
Iglesias used the event to reflect on Spain's own attempts to oppress and exterminate the community.
"Not many people in Spain know about the attempted institutional genocide of baro estardipen, and not many people know that in 1978, after democratic elections, Spain's Civil Guard had directions to repress this group," he said.
Baro estardipen refers to the Great "Gypsy" Round-Up in the Calo language spoken by the Spanish and Portuguese Roma.
In the late 18th century, King Ferdinand VI of Spain ordered the mass imprisonment of Roma people. It was organized by the senior statesman Marquis of Ensenada, a senior statesman in the government.
Link: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/spain-apologizes-to-roma-for-institutional-racism/1927707
