“The homeland begins in the neighborhoods”, is the motto of the Cuida lo tuyo campaign, promoted by Vox for 28-M. Those of Santiago Abascal, who seek to penetrate traditionally left-wing voting centers, appeal to security and coexistence problems to broaden their electorate. And his fetish district in Madrid is Tetuán. This place represents two antagonistic realities, separated by an invisible border, where upper-middle class Madrid residents coexist with mileurista citizens, in addition to a high percentage of migrant population. The ultra-conservative formation has long seen a clear vein: to convince one and the other neighbors despite the opposing contexts. There he presented the measures of Cuida lo tuyo and there he will start the campaign with the classic pasting of posters.
The strategy is focused on one of the pillars of Vox's argument: insecurity on the streets. The latest violent episodes in the district have fueled the expectations of the party, which sees a unique opportunity to shake up its discourse. Rocío Monasterio, candidate for the presidency of the Community of Madrid, and Javier Ortega Smith, candidate for the City Council of the capital, will participate in the pasting of posters at midnight.
The choice of location was not random.. Of the six neighborhoods and the differences in terms of income that Tetuán has, Vox has chosen Calle Jaén, in Cuatro Caminos, to be noticed. Neither more nor less than the avenue that has been the protagonist in recent weeks by a squatted building. In this property there have been riots of all kinds such as fires, assaults and accumulated garbage, which has made the coexistence of the neighbors uncomfortable. In fact, a woman died after a violent fight with another of the squatters in the building.
🟢 VOX will start the campaign in Madrid with a poster sticking in the Tetuán district.
🟢 VOX will begin the posting of posters for the start of the campaign for the municipal and regional elections on May 28 on Jaén street, in the district of Tetuán. Acudirán… pic.twitter.com/ZAcijTQRyW
— VOX Barajas (@VOX_Barajas) May 11, 2023
Vox has situated Tetuán as a scaled representation of the problem with occupation and juvenile bands. In fact, in Monasterio's last visit, on May 9, she blamed Podemos for attracting “squatting” and “citizen insecurity”, betting on restoring “order” to the city. The formation demanded a reform of the Penal Code so that the Police can evict the houses without a court order. In addition, the candidate for the Community of Madrid published the program for this Thursday: “Today Vox begins its posting of posters in the squatter hell of Tetuán”.
Today VOX begins its poster pasting in the hell Okupa de Tetuán, together with Bravo Murillo.
The neighbors will not be alone:
They have VOX https://t.co/BDTvVU3B09
— Rocio Monasterio (@monasterioR) May 11, 2023
Vox's best hope for the elections lies in the capital's City Hall. Ortega Smith's team hopes to increase its representation and be decisive in the formation of the Government together with José Luis Martínez-Almeida. The possibilities against Isabel Díaz Ayuso, on the other hand, are much more remote.
an anomalous district
On the early morning of May 3, there was a stabbing fight in a house on Avenida de la Dirección de Tetuán, specifically with the Skyline luxury complex.. In addition, this Thursday, the Vox Twitter account released a video of Ortega Smith walking through the area, where he pointed out that drugs and insecurity could lead the district to be a new Bonanova. Years ago, Topete de Tetuán street was nicknamed “the most dangerous street in Madrid” due to violent episodes. Now, Vox relies on these events to kick off its campaign.
But understanding Tetouan is complex. It is an “anomalous” district in terms of income, in the words of the urban sociologist, José Ariza de la Cruz. Tetuán has a total population of 158,000 inhabitants, according to data from the Madrid City Council. Its population, with an average age of 44 years, is also varied. The proportion of foreign citizens is 20.24%, with a special presence in the Berruguete neighborhood.
In addition to the district being surrounded by higher-income neighborhoods, inequality also occurs within its own streets. It is one of the famous invisible borders of the capital where two different realities coexist. Bravo Murillo crosses it from north to south, separating the neighborhoods of Cuatro Caminos and Castillejos further to the right.. “The areas close to the Castellana, which in its day became the axis of power in Madrid, have better homes and families with better incomes,” says the expert.. This border is also seen in the average annual income of households. In Cuatro Caminos and Castillejos, the figure ranges between €46,339 and €48,631 per year.
On the other hand, on the left, where Berruguete, Bellas Vistas and Valdeacederas are located, “are areas more linked to the working class”. In addition, Ariza de la Cruz qualifies that, in those neighborhoods with “star streets, irregular, with many slopes and small houses”, it is also where there is a greater presence of migrant population. In addition, Tetuán is one of the areas in the north of the city where there was more shanty town in the capital. In fact, in La Ventilla, the presence of citizens living in such conditions was eradicated just a few years ago. The income numbers are also declining. Berruguete has €31,387 on average per household, while Valdeacederas has €33,500 and Almenara oscillates around €31,000.
As for unemployment, the district total registers 4.8%, according to the people registered in the SEPE in February 2022. This inequality in employment is also recorded in the neighborhoods: while those located on the right have the lowest rate (between 10% and 15.5%), the neighborhoods on the left vary between 19.7% and 16%. The at-risk-of-poverty or social exclusion rate is 26.2%. Finally, and in relation to education, almost 30% of the district’s population has higher education. Where does this percentage predominate? In Cuatro Caminos and Castillejos, decreasing to almost half in the rest of the districts.