August 08, 2024
The environment activists covered the luxurious Ibiza mansion of football legend Lionel Messi with red and black paint on Tuesday, leading to disagreement between Spain and Argentina.
After the activists defaced the mansion, the members from the Futuro Vegetal eco group were seen holding banners with labels “help the planet, eat the rice and abolish the police,” Express reported.
The members shared the pictures of the house covered with graffiti on their Instagram handle along with a caption.
"The Mansion is an illegal construction that the footballer acquired for the exorbitant amount of €11 million. While this is happening, only in the Balearic Islands between two and four people have died as a direct consequence of the heat wave."
In this regard, speaking to the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Argentinian President Javier Milei asked for the guarantee of Argentine citizens, as per Spanish radio station COPE.
Moreover, Mr Milei expressed concern with the family of the football star on his X handle, formerly known as Twitter.
"I sympathise with the Messi family for this cowardly and delirious act and I ask the government of Pedro Sánchez to guarantee the safety of Argentine citizens living in the Kingdom of Spain."
Going further, the Argentine leader branded the climate change activists "communists", adding: "Communism is an ideology fostered by envy, hatred and resentment towards the successful. It has no place in the free and civilised world."
Messi purchased the San Josep property in 2022 and the World Cup winner Argentine is a regular visitor of the island with his family.