Juan Jose Ruiz Joya needed eleven votes to replace Trinidad Herrera in the role of mayor of the third-most important city in the province. After the Andalusian Convergence and the PSOE presented their candidates, the accounts were at odds. However, Juan Jose Ruiz Joya needed eleven votes to replace Trinidad Herrera as mayor of the third most important city in the province. The support of the United We Can coalition was decisive for the PP, who has the support Cs and More Almunecar.
It was almost the same scenario as before the last municipal elections. The investiture plenary session was held in the House of Culture, with all seats occupied locally. The mayor of United We Can voted for the PP candidate to renew Benavides’ cordon sanitaire. This is a historic endorsement that the former mayor would not “destroy” the town. Only one thing has changed over the past three-and-a-half years: CA withdrew support and voted for the socialist candidate. Ruiz Joya was elected the second Almunecar mayor in over four decades of democracy.
The new mayor and government team pose with Trinidad Herrera, a group of mothers whose children were scheduled to perform at the House of Culture in protest of the two-hour delay in the plenary session. This delayed the event’s start by two hours. / P.G-T.
To applause from his government team, Herradur accepted the baton from Trinidad Herrera, the outgoing mayor. Trinidad Herrera was elected deputy on 19J. Herrera is the first to have the mayor’s office retained for three consecutive terms.
According to the sexitan mayor, his government would be moderate, close to society and of maximum consensus. “With the confidence shown by this plenary session I am going to take on an exciting challenge. I will be humble.” I will be a moderate, respectful and cooperative speaker. He stated that he would not be found in insults, in partisan or sectarian politics or in sterile conflicts that further alienate society. Cs were praised by the deputy mayor of La Herradura. He also highlighted the fact that Almunecar has been heard and rowed for the wind, the first time since the Andalusian Government took office. “Having a mayor and president from the PP of Andalusia and Almunecar will bring more investment, more projects, and more jobs to the town. Ruiz Joya stated that I would be near the most vulnerable. My office will be on the street, and that I will be paying special attention to the weakest. It is my responsibility to my city, my party. My position will not be used for political purposes. He said that I currently have 26,000 bosses who are residents of Almunecar–La Herradura.
Ruiz Joya said that water and agriculture will be the priority of the government, along with the struggle for the irrigators. The outgoing mayor was also praised by the mayor. She said, “This will always remain your home and will always be your family.”
Controversy
As expected in Almunecar the plenary session was fraught with controversy. The intervention of councilors delayed the session by several hours and interrupted a children’s dancing gala. The Local Police had the task of stopping the mothers from entering the theater, and they cheered on the corporation at the exit.
The spokespersons from the various political forces took to the podium before the votes. Paco Fernandez, the councilor of United We Can was the first to speak, as it was the formation that had the lowest representation. Fernandez, a teacher for over 40 years, appreciated that the management of the PP has been “respectful, serene” with all political parties during the 11-years of its mandate after years of tensions and insults regarding “the democratic anomaly” it represents Benavides as well as those of Andalusian Convergence.
We have criticised the mistakes of Trinidad Herrera’s municipal government, but it is now that we need to maintain the positive of calm and respectful management of all groups. It is something worth highlighting. This is something that cannot be said about any other coastal town. Fernandez said that no Almunecar mayor has insulted a councilor in the past 11 years. The Almunecar situation is being described by Andalusian Convergence as a democratic anomaly. Benavides said that there is an anomaly, similar to the one in Marbella where a man won almost 80% of votes. He was referring to Jesus Gil. “There is no party in this town. This has provoked a wide consensus among the left, which has always agreed to what was important. We all agreed that the candidate was not a good choice. The mayor recalled that the Andalusian Convergence was not being carried out by the Municipal Treasury or its Urban Planning proposals.
A “consensus”, so Benavides doesn’t govern
The consensus was broken when the IU candidate for the turncoat position, who led the candidacy, agreed with Mr. Benavides in 1995 and managed to embarrass the rest of us. In 1999, Almunecar’s worst mayor was removed by the candidates from the PP and PSOE. He recalled that after the destruction Benavides caused between 2003 and 2011, destruction of coexistence, and municipal organization, the pact between the extinct Andalusian Part of Luis Aragon and the PP was renewed.
Fernandez disfigured Palacios’s attempts to form a government in support of Benavides, or to try to govern with IU-Podemos in the minority. Yesterday, the leader from the CA demanded that, in order to support the socialist candidate as mayor, like in 2019, an agreement be made between the parties at the Andalusian Level that the mayor Almunecar would have progressive policies. The mayor of IU-Podemos stated that no one from the PSOE has spoken to me except yesterday, when Rocio Palacios suggested that three PSOE councilors could form a government. This was a naivety and frivolous suggestion. He defended that you cannot govern with four councilors. This medium was already advanced and IU-Podemos decided to support the current team by returning to be a cordon sanitaire to Benavides.
Daniel Barbero, the spokesman of Cs, the political party that forms the government, was the second speaker. The Deputy Mayor for Tourism and Beaches spoke out about his management during the pandemic and how he achieved pending projects and new plans for Almunecar’s development. “We are doing what we were called to do. We have shown loyalty and responsibility in the face of a pandemic and we hope to renew your trust next year. He said that we are currently developing an urban planning plan, which is legal and should not be taken as pride. There will also be a public market in Almunecar, where work can start after so many arguments. Barbero said that he believes in the 2019 path, which was started with the PP & Mas Almunecar.
Javier Garcia, Mas Almunecar’s spokesperson, said that the obligation to provide stability for the municipality one year after the municipal election was also a responsibility. We give confidence to the popular candidate who has demonstrated that he has a lot of experience and knows how to manage La Herradura. We also want to thank Trinidad Herrera, who has been in the mayor’s chair for eleven years. This speaks volumes about Trinidad Herrera’s personality and spirit. She is determined, strong and has a left-hand that will defend Almunecar’s interests in Seville.
After the intervention by the spokespersons, Rocio Palacio, a socialist candidate, intervened. He criticized the management of the municipality, claiming that Sexita is one of the poorest municipalities in Spain. In addition, he denounced the closure or abandonment of all archaeological remains and tourist attractions in Almunecar.
Juan Carlos Benavides (the candidate and ex-Andalusian mayor), who is leader of the largest voted force intervened in the last place. Benavides attempted to discredit the allegations of Adelante Almunecar’s mayor and defended his integrity. “It’s all lies, smoke screens to hide their shame. He assured that he had never received any money from the City Council, except for the work he did as a doctor in Andalusian’s Health Service. Despite being the most voted for force, we are in danger of losing another year. We gave our support to the PSOE candidate in 2019, to try and stop the right. The PSOE will continue to govern with the faithful endorsement from IU. He added, “We can.” According to the Motril doctor, the polls will again speak in one year and he predicts that they will be back as the main force at Almunecar La Herradura. Benavides, who was the most popular vote in 9 of 11 municipal elections and has a history of trusting that his formation will be able to integrate the government without making embarrassing pacts which cause boredom or mistrust in democratic institutions.
