Spain's labour minister launches electoral bid amid rift in left camp

Spanish Labour Minister and Second Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz applauses as she presents new political platform 'Sumar' in Madrid, Spain, April 2, 2023. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes

MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz launched her bid to become the country's first woman prime minister on Sunday at a packed event in Madrid, where the absence of two government ministers signalled a deepening rift among the progressive left.

Before more than 3,000 supporters, Diaz announced her candidacy for the upcoming general elections slated to take place at the end of the year, in which the incumbent leftist coalition government seeks to win another four-year term.