Paco Salazar: The unsung Architect of SanchismoS Rise and Fall

Paco Salazar, a figure once central to Pedro Sánchez’s ascent to power, now finds himself at the heart of a political storm.⁢ His journey from a municipal coach in Dos Hermanas to a key strategist in ⁤Sánchez’s presidential bid, and his⁤ subsequent controversial tenure⁢ at the city’s racecourse,‍ paints a complex picture of​ loyalty, ambition,​ and the shifting sands of Spanish politics.

The “Altruistic” Task: From Dos⁤ Hermanas to‍ La Moncloa

Salazar’s political career took a significant turn in 2012 when he secured a​ coaching position within the Dos Hermanas City Council. By June 2017, he‍ requested a leave of ‍absence, a​ move that coincided with⁢ Sánchez’s return to the political forefront. ⁣Shortly after Sánchez’s arrival at la Moncloa, Salazar was appointed to an office adjacent to ⁢Iván Redondo, the former head of Cabinet.This period ⁣saw​ Salazar play a⁢ pivotal, albeit often behind-the-scenes, role in Sánchez’s 2017 primary victory. Sánchez himself acknowledged Salazar’s crucial involvement in his memoir, ‘Resistance Manual.’ “Only three people ‍knew the number of​ guaranteed guarantees: Santos Cerdán,Paco salazar and I,”⁣ Sánchez recalled,highlighting Salazar’s indispensable contribution to mobilizing support among disillusioned PSOE members. Operating from their⁤ base in Dos⁣ Hermanas, Salazar, alongside ⁢Santos cerdán and ⁢Adriana Lastra, spearheaded an effort that garnered 57,369 signatures for Sánchez’s candidacy, a figure that substantially outpaced his rival, Susana Díaz.Though, the current leadership​ in‌ dos Hermanas, represented by Mayor Francisco Rodríguez and PSOE-A ‍Organization Secretary ‌Agustín Morón,⁢ has vehemently denied opposition claims that Salazar was drawing a public salary without performing duties. Morón, speaking in a plenary session, ‍asserted that Salazar was engaged in an “altruistic organic task.”

Horse Races and Shifting Fortunes

The ⁤narrative of Sanchismo’s resilience ⁢is inextricably linked to Salazar’s strategic acumen. A technician for the Dos Hermanas City Council, Salazar ⁢also served as the right-hand man‌ to Quico Toscano, the long-serving mayor of Dos Hermanas, renowned for his ten consecutive ‌absolute majorities for the PSOE. Toscano entrusted Salazar⁤ with the management of the city’s public racecourse, an experience that would later prove instrumental.

Following‍ his ⁣stint in the presidential palace, Sánchez assigned Salazar ⁤to oversee the city’s horse racing center, a role that followed his time⁣ working alongside Iván Redondo. However, accounts from racecourse workers paint a less flattering picture of Salazar’s ‍tenure. They describe his management as unremarkable, failing to address the critical issue of external financing.⁣ “He was already‍ speaking with everyone, but he did​ nothing and after a year he disappeared,” one worker⁤ commented. Within the staff, Salazar reportedly cultivated ​a reputation as ‌a braggart, frequently boasting of his direct‌ access to the president.

Salazar remains ⁤a staunch member of the ‘el Alamo’ faction in Dos Hermanas, a group considered the ⁤bedrock of Sanchismo’s resistance. It was in this Sevillian ⁣city, with a population of 140,000, that Sánchez⁤ famously announced his primary candidacy before ⁣a crowd of supporters. Salazar was a key organizer of this foundational event.While many of ‌his early allies, including Lastra, cerdán, Ábalos, and Gómez‌ de Celis, have ⁣as fallen from grace due to corruption allegations or ​political purges, Salazar, at least for the moment, ‌remains by Sánchez’s side, a testament to his enduring, ⁤albeit controversial, influence.