The inconvenient headlines for Sánchez that coincide with his 23-F smokescreen

The government and the party of Pedro Sánchez are in an increasingly complicated situation due to their multiple scandals.

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For some time now, it has been clear that Sánchez is trying to grab headlines in the media to distract from these scandals, which have ranged from political corruption to cases of sexual harassment by leaders of his party and even a serious rape accusation against the recently resigned Deputy Director of Operations (DAO) of the National Police, a man of the utmost confidence of the Minister of the Interior, the socialist Fernando Grande-Marlaska.

The week began this Monday with some very uncomfortable issues for Sánchez in the media. Some of these came to light early this morning, precisely when the Socialist leader unexpectedly announced the declassification of the secret documents from 23-F, a failed coup attempt that took place in 1981. An announcement interpreted by some media outlets and analysts as a smokescreen to cover up these uncomfortable news stories and grab headlines. A new distraction tactic (they are becoming increasingly common) that has been a failure, as can be seen this afternoon by reviewing the front pages of some digital media outlets.

That announcement is, first and foremost, an attempt to feign transparency by a government that in 2020 had already increased its breaches of the Transparency Law twelvefold, and which since then, year after year, has been breaking records for opacity, hiding, among other things, the details about the use of more than 100 flights of the official Falcon aircraft (including many unjustified flights to the Dominican Republic, which are suspected of having been used by members of the corruption schemes linked to the government), the cost of his international tours and of his vacations (paid for by all taxpayers) and their communications during the Valencia floods in 2024 (in which the government took four days to mobilize the Army to help the victims).

What things have coincided in the media today with this new smokescreen from Sánchez? Let's take a brief look at some of them:

• Libertad Digital: "Pedro Sánchez has been treated for a cardiovascular condition for months at the Ramón y Cajal Hospital". The news was published six hours before Sánchez's announcement regarding the 23-F coup attempt. This information reveals the serious deterioration of Sánchez's health and its concealment by the government, which is trying to feign normality, as if nothing were happening.
• El Debate: "The complaint regarding the payment of 2.4 million euros to a friend of Sánchez's wife for the Air Europa bailout places the money in the Dominican Republic." This news item was published 18 minutes before Sánchez's announcement. Coincidentally, it refers to the same country to which the government has made many unjustified flights using official aircraft.
• El Confidencial: "Zapatero's daughters received €198,000 from Plus Ultra's paid fixer". This news item, published 34 minutes before Sánchez's announcement, addresses one of the government's corruption scandals: the irregular bailout of the airline Plus Ultra using public funds.
• The Objective: "A police commissioner denounces coercion by the former DAO (Directorate of Operations) to cover up immigrant crime." This news item, published three hours before Sánchez's announcement, reveals the government's political use of the National Police.
• The Objective: "Red Eléctrica refuses to hand over the audio recordings of the blackout to the Senate committee investigating it". This news item was published three hours before Sánchez's announcement. Red Eléctrica is a government-owned company and is withholding relevant information about last year's blackout.

Furthermore, one has to wonder how long it will take the government to give us explanations about very serious events, such as its corruption cases, the Adamuz train accident a month ago, or last year's nationwide blackout. Will we have to wait 45 years?

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Photo: La Moncloa.