The mayoress of Maracena resigns to try to stop the pact sealed to wrest the municipal government from the PSOE

The mayoress of Maracena, Berta Linares, has resigned this Friday to avoid being an obstacle in the negotiations that the PSOE had undertaken to preserve the municipal government of the municipality of Granada, involved in a political scandal after the kidnapping of the socialist councilor Vanessa Romero. However, his decision seems to have come late, since the PP has also announced today the agreement reached with three of the six parties with municipal representation (Vox, Quiero Maracena and Maracena Conecta) that will allow the investiture as mayor of the popular candidate, Julio Pérez, next June 17.

The pact was made public shortly after Berta Linares's decision to step back was made public and its objective is “the regeneration of the municipality and lifting the carpet”, as explained by the signatories, who appeared before the media. It is about giving “stability” to the town and “putting an end to corruption in this town hall after 16 years of socialist governments”, they have also highlighted.

Berta Linares, who lost an absolute majority in the May 28 elections, has taken a step back four months after the event that shocked the life of the town, after learning that the mayoress's boyfriend, Pedro Gómez, forcibly retained to the socialist councilor Vanessa Romero, whom he tied up and put in the trunk of a car, from which the mayor was able to escape on his own to ask for help.

Months later and on the eve of the May 28 elections, the judge investigating the case pointed out as possible accomplices in the events the mayoress herself and her predecessor, Noel López, who was then Organization Secretary of the Andalusian PSOE. López resigned from the organic position although he maintains the act of deputy and his position on the Parliamentary Board. Given that he is registered as a parliamentarian, the investigating judge transferred the case to the TSJA, which he asked to take a statement as investigated both López and Linares, as well as the Town Planning councilor, Antonio García Leyva, which places them in a sort of “pre-imputation” that complicates his immediate political future.

The signatories of the agreement that could snatch the mayoralty from the PSOE to give it to the PP.

Berta Linares, however, has resisted until today to leave the mayor's office or to renounce being a candidate again. But the rest of the parties that have obtained representation in the City Council consider it unsustainable that Linares be invested again after being directly involved in the investigation of the facts, despite the fact that she defends her innocence and blames the incriminating story of her ex-partner ( cut the relationship after learning about the kidnapping) to the psychiatric disorder he suffers from.

The security cameras recorded Berta Linares with the kidnapper while the councilor was still being held, which contradicts the version that the mayoress gave of what happened. Later, he explained that he did not give these details to the press in his first appearance so as not to compromise the investigation, since the summary had been declared secret..

But it would not have been only the statement of the ex-partner of Linares that has focused on the councilor and her predecessor. Issues of a political and urban nature have been considered from the outset among the motivations for the kidnapping of Romero who, according to what has transpired, on the day of the proceedings, had compromised documentation with her.

In a statement sent to the press today, the mayoress says that her resignation is intended “not to be an excuse to install the right and ultra-right at the head of the town hall.”

“I am not even investigated or charged, nor have they called me to testify yet, but in the face of so much noise and malicious hoax, I prefer to step aside and let a new team work for the good of my city.” “I trust that sooner rather than later Justice will finally show my innocence and make it clear that we have suffered a dirty and unfair campaign, both politically and personally,” he adds.