THE mayor of a Spanish city famous for its bitter animosity with Gibraltar has been urged to quit by his own party after two women accused him of sexual assault.
Jose Ignacio Landaluce, who has led Algeciras since 2011, is facing mounting pressure after the Cadiz branch of the conservative Partido Popular (PP) demanded his immediate resignation.
Twelve of the party’s 15 councillors in the city have signed a formal request for him to step down, with the party threatening disciplinary action against those who refuse to back the move.
The allegations have plunged the port city into a political crisis, with Landaluce previously insisting he was innocent and vowing to defend himself.
Landaluce, 67, is a well-known political figure in the southern Spanish city, which sits just across the bay from the Rock.
He has long been associated with a hardline stance towards Gibraltar, where tensions over sovereignty, border controls and fishing rights have repeatedly flared.
The latest scandal centres on allegations made by two women affiliated with the PP, although Landaluce has now been kicked out of the party.
One woman reportedly accused him of two alleged sexual assaults in 2020 and 2021, in a complaint submitted to Spain’s Supreme Court in September.
She alleges one incident happened at a medical centre owned by the mayor, while the second allegedly took place inside the town hall.
A second woman has reportedly accused Landaluce of sexual assault over an alleged incident on July 10 in his municipal office.
She also claims the local party failed to activate its anti-harassment procedures and attempted to cover up the alleged incident.
The PP in Cadiz says it changed its position after hearing directly about the two complaints, adding that it had lost confidence in the mayor.
Landaluce has categorically denied the allegations and insists he is innocent. The legal status of the second complaint has not been publicly clarified.
The mayor previously announced he intended to stand again in next year’s local elections, despite the growing controversy.
The PP has now instructed its councillors to withdraw their support and warned that those who refuse to back his resignation could face disciplinary proceedings.
If Landaluce refuses to step down, the party says it will take action to regain control of the city council.
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