By Ollus Ndomu
Equatorial Guinea’s Vice President Teodoro Obiang Mangue has accused the Spanish embassy in Malabo and its visa application agency of extorting Equatoguinean citizens. In a strongly worded post on X, Obiang Mangue claimed that the agency collected payments for visa applications it knew would be denied and failed to pay taxes to the national government.
“It is clear that the refusal to issue visas to Equatoguineans is a scheme created by the Spanish embassy in Malabo to extort money from the population and profit from their savings,” Obiang Mangue stated. The Vice President’s allegations have sparked outrage among Equatoguinean citizens, who have long complained about the difficulty and expense of obtaining visas to travel to Spain.
Obiang Mangue’s accusations come amid strained relations between Equatorial Guinea and Spain. The Vice President’s social media post has added fuel to ongoing diplomatic tensions, with many calling for a thorough investigation into the embassy’s visa processing practices.
The Spanish embassy in Malabo has yet to respond to these allegations. However, the claims have already begun to attract international attention, with observers calling for transparency and accountability in the visa application process.
In his post, Obiang Mangue also highlighted the financial implications of the alleged extortion, noting that the agency did not pay taxes to the Equatoguinean government. This claim, if proven true, could have significant repercussions for the embassy and the visa application agency involved.
The Vice President’s accusations have put a spotlight on the visa application process, calling into question the integrity of the system and the treatment of Equatoguinean citizens seeking to travel abroad. The Equatoguinean government is expected to take further action to address these concerns and ensure that its citizens are treated fairly.
