Gonzalo Pérez Jácome (born 2 August 1969)[1] is a Spanish politician who is the founder and leader of the party Ourensan Democracy (DO). He was elected to Ourense's city council in 2011 and has served as its mayor since 2019.
Biography
editJácome's father and sister died in a traffic accident when he was 8 years old.[2] He was expelled from two schools.[3] A pianist from the age of seven he inherited his father's musical instrument shop, Jolper; the name came from his father's, José Luis Pérez.[3] Jácome has taken part in races up the stairs of the Empire State Building and the Gran Hotel Bali in Benidorm.[3]
In 2001, Jácome founded the political party Ourensan Democracy (DO), which he promoted with the local television channel Auria TV featuring the populist character "Miño Man".[4] After failed attempts in 2003 and 2007, the party entered the city council in 2011 with two seats; he was frequently expelled from sessions for insulting others.[4] His fellow member Susana Gómez Valencia resigned shortly before the 2015 election due to disagreements with him,[5] while the party grew to eight seats and became the second largest in the council. DO voted for Jácome to be mayor instead of taking up the offer to form a coalition government with the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), that would see that party take the mayor's office. Jácome said that the PSOE had the choice of being in government with him as mayor, or having the People's Party (PP) rule.[6]
In April 2015, after proposing cuts to Ourense's municipal band, Jácome was struck with an egg by a man from Pontevedra. In November 2018, the man began a one-year prison sentence due to his previous convictions, in addition to a €1,060 fine.[7]
Jácome was elected mayor of Ourense in 2019 as his party and the PP totalled 14 seats on the council. The PP did not applaud his inauguration, which had been part of a deal for that party to lead the provincial deputation of the Province of Ourense.[8] In 2023, his party was the most voted for, taking ten seats. The PP (7), PSOE (6) and the Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG; 4) could not conclude a pact to oust him, so the PP voted for themselves and again allowed him to govern in exchange for keeping the provincial government.[9]
Jácome's party entered the Parliament of Galicia in the 2024 election, though due to regional laws preventing mayors for running for that body, his long-term right-hand man Armando Ojea was the one elected. Jácome said that his party would cooperate with any other that would defend the wellbeing of his native province.[10]
References
edit- ^ Ascón, Miguel (7 January 2024). "El currículo de los políticos ourensanos, del cinturón negro al profesor particular" [The CVs of Ourense's politicians, from the black belt to the private teacher]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ Casanova, Jorge (26 November 2019). "Gonzalo Pérez Jácome: «Ser intrépido es fundamental»" [Gonzalo Pérez Jácome: "Being intrepid is fundamental"]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ a b c Nespereira, Antonio (2 May 2009). "«Cuando era más joven creía que Ourense tenía muchas oportunidades. Ahora veo que no»" ["When I was younger I believed that Ourense had a lot of opportunities. Now I see that it doesn't"]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ a b Ascón, Miguel (8 September 2020). "Jácome, el azote del poder que ahora sufre por mandar" [Jácome, the scourge of those in power who now suffers from governing]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ "Susana Gómez, concejala de Democracia Ourensana, renuncia a su cargo" [Susana Gómez, Ourensan Democracy councillor, resigns her post]. Faro de Vigo (in Spanish). 24 February 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ Álvarez, M. J. (12 June 2015). "DO votará a Jácome y deja al PSOE "la responsabilidad de otorgar la Alcaldía al PP"" [DO will vote for Jácome and leaves the PSOE with "the responsibility to leave the mayor's office to the PP"]. Faro de Vigo (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ "El agresor que estampó un huevo a Jácome ingresa en la cárcel por un año de condena al tener antecedentes" [The aggressor who smashed an egg against Jácome enters prison for a year's sentence due to having precedents]. Faro de Vigo (in Spanish). 30 November 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ Pazos, Pablo (15 June 2019). "Gonzalo Jácome, elegido alcalde de Orense con los votos del PP pero sin su aplauso" [Gonzalo Jácome, elected mayor of Ourense with the votes of the PP but not their applause]. ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ Bustabad, Lorena (17 June 2023). "Jácome contra todos: repite en Ourense tras fracasar PP y PSOE en su intento para echarlo" [Jácome against everyone: re-elected in Ourense after PP and PSOE fail in their attempt to oust him]. El Confidencial (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ Abascal, Luis (18 February 2024). "Gonzalo Pérez Jácome hace historia y consigue un escaño para Democracia Ourensana en Galicia" [Gonzalo Pérez Jácome makes history and gets a seat for Ourensan Democracy in Galicia] (in Spanish). El Plural. Retrieved 5 March 2024.