On Tuesday, Vicente Barrera, the first vice president of the Generalitat Valenciana and counselor for Culture and Sport, visited Alicante’s Northern Zone. His remarks during the visit, which touched on illegal immigration, crime, and housing occupation, drew scrutiny on Wednesday. The regional Socialist party, through Pilar Bernabé, the government delegate for the Valencian Community, called for a clear stance after Barrera’s statements. The regional coalition Compromís demanded that the Council, which includes the Partido Popular and Vox, clarify whether it shares Barrera’s comments.
Bernabé, who also visited the Provincial SEPE office in Alicante on Wednesday, was asked for her view on Barrera’s remarks, which suggested that immigration and housing occupation were among the decisive factors behind perceived insecurity in the Northern Zone. She replied that mixing the government with the ideology of an ultranationalist party is dangerous, and she added she hopes the Valencian Community does not have to endure prolonged turmoil and that the president will set order in the government.
Beyond this issue of security, Bernabé was questioned about whether a police force reinforcement is needed. The government delegate emphasized that the Valencian Community currently has more Guardia Civil and police officers than at any point in its history. She also commended the national government under Pedro Sánchez for increasing the workforce and underscoring that public security is a fundamental priority.
Cortes Valencianas
Meanwhile, Compromís filed a parliamentary question in the Cortes aimed at the Council to ascertain whether it shares Barrera’s statements. Isaura Navarro, the deputy spokesperson for the Valencian left, asserted that Barrera has become the minister of ignorance and the voice of hatred toward migrants and the vulnerable within the Council.
Navarro rejected the idea that Barrera uses his position to pursue migrants and to cast immigration as a social problem. Compromís’s stance was echoed by the predecessor of Barrera in the role, Aitana Mas, who posted on social media that a year ago she visited Alicante’s Northern Zone to raise visibility for an office created to support youth emancipation in the most affected neighborhoods, whereas Barrera visited the same area to sow hate.
In summary, the debate centers on how migration and security are framed by regional leadership and the implications for public policy and social cohesion in Alicante and the broader Valencian Community.