Seville (EFE).- The historic day laborer and IU leader, Juan Manuel Sánchez Gordillo, will leave active politics and will not run for Mayor of Marinaleda (Seville), a position he has held for 44 years and which has made him one one of the longest-serving councilors in the country.
At 74 years old and with some health problems, Sánchez Gordillo will take over the candidacy of the confluence of the left, which has not yet decided who will be the head of the list, although the sources consulted by EFE indicate that the next candidate for mayor from Marinaleda could be Sergio Gómez, first deputy mayor and head of Urban Planning and Works.
The sources have detailed that Sánchez Gordillo’s health complications have caused him to gradually withdraw from his duties in the mayor’s office for months, and that Sergio Gómez has been the one who has been assuming the responsibilities.
However, everything indicates that once the withdrawal of Sánchez Gordillo becomes effective, an internal process will be opened in Adelante Marinaleda to definitively designate the candidate.
The veteran leader stood in the 2019 municipal elections for Adelante Marinaleda, a formation with which he obtained 48.5 percent support (6 councilors), compared to 46 percent support for Avanza (5 councilors), a result very far from the absolute majorities that Sánchez Gordillo has reaped for many years.
It is foreseeable that on May 28, the heirs of the day laborer leader will attend the elections with the confluence of leftists that make up, among other parties, Podemos, IU and various environmental groups.
Along with his prominent role as a day laborer leader, Juan Manuel Sánchez Gordillo has been an Andalusian deputy with the IU during two legislatures, between 1996 and 2000, and in the 2008-2014 term.