Influence War in Washington: Morocco Spends 10 Times More Than Spain to Win Over America

According to the Open Secrets organization’s registers analyzed by El Independiente, Morocco devoted 58.9 million dollars over the last decade to influence decisions in Washington, compared to only 6.9 million for Spain. In 2025 alone, Rabat spent nearly 3.5 million dollars, while Spain’s budget was limited to 588,590 dollars, coming exclusively from the Catalan government. Morocco’s most substantial investment dates back to 2020 with 12.7 million dollars committed by the public group OCP, specialized in phosphates, far exceeding Spain’s record held by Ifema in 2024.

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These fundings are part of a global strategy mixing economics and international politics. Through its official tourism campaigns, Morocco promotes for example the city of Dakhla, thus linking its attractiveness to the Western Sahara question. These efforts with American decision-makers culminated in 2020, the year when the United States recognized Moroccan claims over this territory as part of agreements including the normalization of relations with Israel. Specialist Alejandro López explains that the electoral financing system across the Atlantic is particularly "inclined to these dynamics," making these approaches much more fluid and less controversial than in Europe.

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Conversely, Spain prefers to maintain an institutional approach. Analyst Alejandro López describes a "more classical diplomacy," designed to preserve the status quo and negotiate trade or migration issues without resorting to lobbying pressure. A position supported by Akram Kharief, director of the Mena Defense portal, who believes that Madrid can afford it thanks to "robust diplomacy and clear international positions." According to him, these massive investments in American lobbying groups constitute mainly an alternative channel for states seeking new ways to establish their global influence.