The President of the government Jose Luis Zapatero said that during the government of Aznar "many things happened which were not known, that have become known to him" He was referring to the treatment of Political Prisoners during the years of the last government, prior to 2004, when the government was led by Jose Maria Aznar. He accused the PP of criticism of the government without ever having put forward anti-terrorist proposals themselves.

The spokesman for the PSOE, suggested that before complaining of the treatment of Juana Chaos, the released ETA prisoner, the PP should remember the special treatment they gave ETA when they were in power. He accused the PP of allowing prisoners, when the PP were in power, special privileges. In particular he mentioned allowing them from the politically isolated prison of Mellila back to the main peninsular of Spain.

The row has been caused because Juana Chaos underwent three months of hunger strike and was released on compassionate grounds to return to his homeland.

Chaos was responsible for the deaths of 25 civilians.

Zapatero has threatened to publish the details of the Popular Party's special treatment of prisoners when they were in power to show that what they have done with Juana Chaos was following precedent.

The PSOE, led by Zapatero has promised to release the names of 300 prisoners kept by the PP who were given special privileges. 21 were released due to ill health, one of them, Esteban Nietos, had been condemned to over 3000 years and had only served 12 years in jail.

The PP released an official notice accusing the PSOE of lying about the 'automatic release' of prisoners when they had been in power and said that they were not comparable to the case of Juana.