A roundup of the latest news on Thursday
US denies visa of Spanish presidential candidate, police clash with protesters as Vox leader visits northern Spain, and more news on Thursday October 22nd.
Spain’s courts continue to block voting rights of 160,000 naturalised citizens
The Spanish Constitutional Court has declined to admit an appeal by the Spanish Ombudsman regarding the suspension of voting rights for individuals nationalised under the “Grandchildren’s Law.”
This decision maintains a precautionary measure that could prevent over 160,000 recently nationalised citizens from voting in the upcoming November 29th general elections.
READ MORE: Why are naturalised citizens being barred from voting in Spain’s election?
This comes a week after the country’s Socialist-led government also appealed the decision to bar these naturalised Spaniards living overseas from voting.
Police clash with protesters as Vox leader visits northern Spain
A tense anti-fascist mobilisation took place in the northern Galician city A Coruña on Wednesday to protest a visit by far-right Vox leader Santiago Abascal.
Over a thousand demonstrators gathered in opposition, leading to direct confrontations with the police that included the throwing of stones, eggs, and firecrackers.
💢 Cargas policiales en A Coruña contra quienes se manifestaban en oposición a un acto de Santiago Abascal. #Mañaneros21O https://t.co/Q0QOp0vKPB
— Mañaneros 360 (@MananerosTVE) October 21, 2026
Riot police responded by charging the crowd, using tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters into the surrounding streets.
The clashes ultimately resulted in at least one arrest, several injuries, and damage to the outdoor furniture of local businesses.
There were also three arrests and several people injured following clashes with police on Wednesday evening when Abascal continued his campaigning in the Asturian city of Avilés.
Don’t miss our journalists’ daily news roundup from Spain
Spain’s FM warns against foreign interference in election
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares has urged foreign actors to leave Spain alone ahead of the November 29th general elections, warning against external interference in the democratic process.
“It is clear that there are external forces trying to divide Spaniards and Europeans ,” the minister stated.
He also criticised Argentine President Javier Milei for calling Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez a “dictator”, and also referenced Donald Trump’s recent remarks on the Ceuta migration crisis.
Albares called on voters to use the ballot box to penalise any political forces that tolerate or celebrate such international interventions.
US denies visa of Spanish presidential candidate
Ada Colau, former Barcelona mayor and newly chosen leader of left-wing coalition Frente Amplio, has been denied entry to Puerto Rico by the US administration, officially due to an alleged “intention to immigrate,” which she strongly rejects.
Instead, Colau claims the travel ban is politically motivated, stemming from her active support for the Palestinian cause and her participation in a humanitarian flotilla to Gaza last year.
“Trump defends a curious concept of freedom,” Colau said on social media. “The same man who decides the fate of Puerto Rico’s citizens without respecting their sovereignty also bars those of us who risked our lives in the flotilla from travelling”.
Colau revealed that during her visa interview at the US Embassy in Madrid, officials specifically questioned her about her trips to Israel and her activism.
