Controversy Grows Over Oviedo Mayor Minimizing Violent Attacks

• Alfredo Canteli, Mayor of Oviedo, faces backlash after describing a brutal attack on local activists as an "anecdote."
• The mayor has a documented history of downplaying violence and spreading misinformation during his tenure since 2019.
• Public and political opposition is intensifying, with further demonstrations planned to condemn the mayor's rhetoric.

Pattern of Minimizing Violence

• September 2024: Dismissed a savage assault on two activists by eight far-right individuals as a minor event and insinuated the victims were at fault.
• June 2019: Referred to the fatal beating of a teacher, David Carragal, as an "accident" involving young men who "had too much to drink."
• January 2025: Downplayed the conviction of local police officers for assaulting a citizen by stating, "at least they didn't kill anyone."
• February 2025: During a minute of silence for a victim of gender-based violence, he falsely identified the perpetrator as a Venezuelan immigrant; the suspect was actually a 72-year-old Spanish national.

Political Implications

• Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska publicly challenged the mayor to identify the perpetrators if he is privy to information about them.
• The local branch of the PP is divided on whether to distance themselves from the mayor's comments or defend him.
• The far-right party Vox has emerged as a vocal supporter of the mayor, using the controversy to sharpen its divide against the left.