A surprise visit
On this Thursday morning, Begoña Gómez, the Spanish first lady and wife of President Pedro Sánchez, made an unexpected visit to the Port Aventura theme park on the Costa Dorada, between Vila-seca and Salou (Tarragona). The Sánchez-Gómez family is visiting Catalonia, where the president, also general secretary of the PSOE, is participating in Salvador Illa’s electoral campaign for the May 12 elections to the Parliament of Catalonia.
A private visit
According to close sources, Begoña Gómez arrived at the theme park in the morning and enjoyed a private visit with her daughter. Both toured the facilities discreetly, accompanied by their bodyguards and with security reinforcement provided by the park. Although the security of the Moncloa and the first lady is the responsibility of the National Police, the Mossos d’Esquadra also reinforced their presence during the visit, which passed without incident.
Political context
Begoña Gómez’s visit comes after the reappearance of President Pedro Sánchez at the Barcelona April Fair, where he was accompanied by the PSC candidate, Salvador Illa. In the midst of the crisis generated by the letter, which kept Spain in suspense for five days, the first lady has decided to make a discreet appearance in Port Aventura, taking advantage of the public holiday in Madrid. Although it is unknown if Begoña Gómez and her daughter will remain in Catalonia until Saturday, when the president has another campaign event with Salvador Illa.
The letter crisis
The visit of Begoña Gómez and the public reappearance of President Sánchez come after a crisis that has shaken the electoral campaign in Catalonia. Following the complaint by the ultra Clean Hands union against the president’s wife, which was admitted for processing although the Prosecutor’s Office has requested its archive, Pedro Sánchez wrote a letter to the citizens questioning whether it was worth continuing in office in the face of the attacks of ‘lawfare’ by the extreme right. Five days later, in a press conference, the president confirmed that he would not resign and stressed the need for democratic regeneration.
