The Mayor of San Vicente de la Barquera, Charo Urquiza, has formally denied receiving any directives or communications from the PSOE executive committee regarding the status of local government officials following a reported physical altercation. The incident, which involved municipal councilor Fernando García and the Partido Popular (PP) spokesperson Julián Vélez, occurred on May 28 following the conclusion of a plenary session, according to regional reports.
Charo Urquiza stated that she has not been pressured by her party to remove Vélez from the government team. She emphasized that because the plenary session had already been adjourned at the time of the reported confrontation, the event falls outside her administrative responsibility. The matter is currently under judicial review, and the mayor has urged all parties to respect the principle of the presumption of innocence regarding Vélez.
Conflicting Accounts of the May 28 Incident
The events following the May 28 plenary session remain the subject of competing narratives. Councilor Fernando García, representing the local group Vecinos SVB, alleged that the PP spokesperson acted with sudden violence. According to the account provided by Vecinos SVB, Vélez initiated an unprovoked physical attack, causing García to fall against seating, which subsequently required medical attention and resulted in a period of medical leave. The group further alleged that the aggressive behavior continued outside the plenary hall, with claims that Vélez issued verbal threats.
In contrast, Julián Vélez characterized the event as a staged interaction. He stated that both individuals became involved in a heated exchange, describing the situation as a “comedy” and claiming that García fell intentionally after being pushed. Vélez has maintained that the escalating tensions within the municipal corporation are rooted in ongoing political friction that intensified following a dispute in March regarding a municipal employment process at the CEIP Mata Linares school.
Political Tensions and Allegations of Internal Strategy
The conflict has expanded into a broader confrontation between the local PP and the leadership of the Cantabrian PSOE. The Partido Popular has accused the secretary general of the PSOE, Pedro Casares, of attempting to leverage the local dispute to destabilize the municipal government in San Vicente de la Barquera. In a public statement, the PP suggested that the PSOE leadership is using “internal strategies” to distance themselves from the current administration rather than addressing the situation directly.
The PP’s critique also extended to wider regional political grievances, questioning the internal standards of the Cantabrian PSOE regarding its leadership and past administrative controversies. By linking the local incident to broader regional party dynamics, the PP has framed the current tension as part of a larger pattern of political maneuvering within the Spanish socialist party.
Background: From Municipal Disputes to Legal Action
The current climate of the San Vicente de la Barquera corporation appears to have deepened following a series of events earlier this year. Vélez has stated that the animosity stems from his public opposition to the hiring process for a janitor position at the CEIP Mata Linares, where he alleged that a relative of Councilor García sought preferential treatment. This led to a subsequent request by Vélez to strip the title of “Barquereño Ejemplar” from Francisco García, the brother of the councilor, due to alleged confrontations in the street.
The legislative process in the municipality has been interrupted by these interpersonal and political conflicts. The mayor, Charo Urquiza, opted to adjourn the plenary session after these disputes led to repeated interruptions. As the case is currently handled by the judicial system, no definitive legal ruling has been issued, leaving the final determination of fault to the courts.
The situation remains fluid as the parties await further developments from the ongoing judicial investigation. As of this report, there is no scheduled date for a court hearing or a formal resolution from the relevant legal authorities. Readers are encouraged to monitor official municipal announcements for updates on the administrative status of the involved councilors and to participate in the conversation by sharing their views on local governance and conduct in the comments section below.
Worth a look