The PP has criticized Minister of Transport Oscar Puente for calling Vito Quiles, a collaborator of Se Acabó la Fiesta leader Alvise Pérez, a “piece of shit” for sharing a photo of a police car. The PP believes that the sharing of a photo, falsely claiming that it shows Puente’s car, is a “criticism” of the government and Puente’s response is a “bray” and a reflection of how “sanchismo” deals with political, personal or journalistic differences. The controversy arose from a photo published by Quiles of a car accompanying the minister near the Bernabéu during a Taylor Swift concert. Quiles accused Puente of using his position to attend the concert and park wherever he pleased, which Puente denied but Quiles supported with another photo showing the same car at an event with Puente, proving him right. Puente then called him a “piece of shit.”
The PP has come out in defense of Quiles, accusing Puente of “insults and slander,” and describing him as someone who is critical of the government. The PP condemns Puente’s response and calls for his immediate resignation if he were in a government led by Alberto Núñez Feijóo, in order to stop the entire government from being complicit in relating to citizens in such a manner. They claim that Pedro Sánchez, the President of the Government, laughs at Puente’s antics. The incident is seen as an attempt to distract from the legal issues surrounding the President’s wife, Begoña Gómez, her brother, or the struggles that Salvador Illa is facing with ERC and Puigdemont to maintain power. Puente, as well as CIS chief José Luis Tezanos, and the Attorney General Álvaro García Ortiz, are criticized as examples of “indignity” that tarnish the institutions they represent.
The PP characterizes the relationship between Begoña Gómez and Pedro Sánchez as one of exemplary personal integrity, but Puente’s behavior falls short of the greatness expected from the President. They accuse Puente, Tezanos, and Ortiz of contributing to a decline in the prestige of the institutions they represent with their actions. The PP suggests that the real purpose of the incident is to divert attention from the legal troubles of individuals related to the government and to discredit Puente, Tezanos, and Ortiz as unworthy of their respective roles. The PP calls for Puente’s resignation and highlights the discrepancies between the personal integrity of the Government and the behavior of its members in relation to the public and the media.
