Rafa Mas Muñoz, born in Alicante in 1983, still carries a restless spark from his younger days. He admits that a child’s dreamlike joy and imagination never fully left him, even as he turned forty. The mayor of Compromís in Alicante spoke with INFORMATION during a campaign interview at Cigarreras, a site whose entrance obelisk preserves memories of a once bustling cigar factory. He recalls accompanying his father to pick up his mother after work, the factory’s smoke and routine imprinting a sense of working life that shaped his path. “All of this had a huge impact on me,” he explains. He learned to listen, organize, and build, believing that community and progress go hand in hand. These early lessons helped cultivate a communal spirit that later guided his work, including leadership roles in the Red Cross corporate committee in Alicante and as provincial secretary of the CC OO Services Federation Organization.
Mas presents himself as a worker who understands the power of community mobilization. His surroundings reinforce that identity. He describes a love for creation, sharing, and dialogue, always with a clear purpose in mind. His energy comes from the belief that thoughtful action leads to tangible results.
Cities are transforming and we are still in the 80s in Alicante
His education began at Josefinas, continued through IES Jorge Juan and Figueras Pacheco, where he earned the Higher Technician Degree in Social Integration. He also studied social work at times, and today he often trains for what he calls his now-frustrated profession: Labor Relations. He entered the job market at a young age and has worked in nearly every type of role over the years. His earliest position involved care for HIV patients, followed by years assisting refugees. In addition to his professional work, he has been involved with Red Cross, Cáritas, and Proyecto Lázaro.
In politics, he began as a socialist activist before joining Iniciativa, a cornerstone of Compromís. “They are the tools that will transform the city,” Mas says, dedicating his free time to family and loved ones. He enjoys sports and nature, yet his deepest passion remains people. “I’m very social, just like my father and sister,” he notes. He lives in the plaza America area, above a barracks where he was born. “I could say I was born in a hut. I’ve been in and out of vehicles since childhood. I later moved through Campoamor Norte and, after a long pause, to the Sagrada Familia,” Mas reflects, portraying himself as a neighborhood kid who loves talking with neighbors and visiting small, familiar shops.
Mas’s party, Compromís, will preside over the electoral process after 28M, following four years as a councilor noted for his intensity in plenary sessions. His approach has drawn warnings and sparked debates, and he has clashed with councilor Julia Llopis on Social Action issues.