Almería, November 22, 2025 – Total News Agency-TNA – The abrupt end to the political career of Javier Aureliano García Molina, until just days ago the president of the Provincial Deputation of Almería and leader of the People's Party (PP) in the province, has triggered a deep crisis that is shaking the foundations of local power. The police operation launched this week has caused an unexpected upheaval in the Andalusian province. Agents from the Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard made the arrests on Tuesday, and although those involved were released under judicial supervision the next day, the political blow had already been struck. García Molina channeled his resignation from the conviction of his innocence but admitted that taking this step “will facilitate the return to normality” of the institution. The PP in Almería did not wait. Meanwhile, the local popular forces have begun an internal adjustment process “with a certain continuity,” according to Repullo and Fernández-Pacheco. This event marks a before and after in Almería's politics, where the PP had consolidated its provincial hegemony for over a decade. At a public appearance accompanied by key figures—such as the mayor of Almería, María del Mar Vázquez, and the honorary president of the Almería PP, Gabriel Amat—Fernández-Pacheco was clear: “The PP of Almería is much bigger than any one person… and we are not going to disappoint the trust of the people of Almería.” García Molina's meteoric rise in local politics began when he assumed the presidency of the Deputation in January 2019 following a long transition in provincial and municipal government. The Secretary General of PP-Andalucía, Antonio Repullo, and the new provincial president, Ramón Fernández-Pacheco, quickly took command to mitigate the impact. Along with him, his right-hand man—Fernando Giménez, vice president of the institution—also left his institutional responsibilities. The investigation reveals that the contract scheme in question began at least in 2016, with awards exceeding two million euros for the purchase of sanitary material at the start of the pandemic. His fall, in contrast, has been abrupt and unexpected. The suspicions point to companies such as Pulconal S.L. and OYC Urban Services as beneficiaries of allegedly rigged tenders, and to individuals linked to the Deputation who directed the contracts irregularly. To the serious situation involving García Molina and Giménez is added the figure of Rodrigo Sánchez, mayor of Fines, who was also arrested, and whose suspension of party membership by the PP on Friday puts the focus on a larger network. For the party, the immediate priority is to stop the damage: “All the decisions we make from now on, we are going to reflect on and reach a consensus on,” admitted Fernández-Pacheco upon taking on his new responsibility. The public is watching with a magnifying glass what consequences this case will have on provincial management, institutional trust, and the stability of the Almería PP. García Molina submitted his resignation after being released on bail in the second phase of the so-called 'Mask Case,' which investigates alleged irregular awarding and the collection of commissions on public contracts during the pandemic. According to investigators, inquiries are also being extended against other officials, such as provincial councilor José Juan Martínez, who could be implicated along with his spouse through a commercial company. The change in leadership of the provincial government has provisionally been handed over to the first vice president, Ángel Escobar, until the Plenary Session of the Deputation takes note of the resignations and a new election is formalized (a deadline that the PP itself estimates at ten days for processing the minutes and another ten for the designation of a successor).
