MADRID/ISTANBUL

Spain’s National Sports Council (CSD) on Monday accused the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) of whitewashing the Gaza genocide.

The accusation came after the final stage of the La Vuelta cycling race was cancelled on Sunday in Madrid amid mass protests against Israel’s participation.

The UCI then issued a statement saying that calls for a boycott of the Israeli team had become political tools, condemning the protests and slamming Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez for publicly applauding the demonstrations.

CSD President Jose Manuel Rodriguez Uribes responded in a letter to UCI chief David Lappartient, stressing that sports should not remain indifferent to global events.

“There is no peace without justice, and whitewashing a genocide through sports… this is a political position that goes against the Olympic Charter and the most fundamental values of sport,” he said.

Uribes emphasized that peaceful protest is a constitutional right in Spain.

“If the goal is a just and noble one, such as defending human rights, this free and peaceful expression acquires the status of a moral obligation,” he added.

He also criticized the UCI for failing to call on Israel to “stop the massacre” of Palestinians.

On Monday, Sanchez said he was proud of the Spanish protestors and argued that both Israel and Russia should be banned from international sports competitions “until the barbarity ends.”

The 80th edition of La Vuelta was halted around 57 kilometers (35 miles) from the finish line after demonstrators blocked streets along the planned route.