The wife of Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain, has filed a legal complaint against far-right political campaigner and social media influencer Vito Quiles over an alleged assault that took place on April 29 at a café in Madrid.
According to the complaint, Begoña Gómez was confronted by Quiles, who approached her to question her about an ongoing corruption case. A selfie video posted online by Quiles shows him approaching Gómez inside the café and then following her into the street, continuing to ask questions about the case, as per foreign media reports.
The video also shows two women intervening and forcibly preventing Quiles from getting close to Gómez, allowing her to enter a taxi and leave the scene.
Gómez is currently under investigation over allegations that she used her position as the prime minister’s wife to help secure work contracts. She denies any wrongdoing. In April, a Spanish prosecutor requested that the investigating judge close the case, which had been brought by far-right groups.
His conduct during the incident was widely condemned by members of Spain’s Socialist government as well as by the conservative People’s Party (PP). However, PP spokesperson Ester Muñoz said that Quiles was “also a victim” due to the actions of the women who restrained him, adding that she “understands that there are journalists who want to ask questions” of Gómez.
The case involving Gómez is one of several corruption-related matters either approaching trial or already in court that are placing pressure on Sánchez, one of Europe’s remaining left-leaning leaders.
Separately, witnesses this week are testifying in a corruption case involving Sánchez’s former transport minister. On April 29, Víctor Aldama, a witness in a case linked to former minister José Luis Ábalos, told a court that Sánchez had been aware of alleged kickback payments made to his party, the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE).
A PSOE spokesperson rejected the claim, calling Aldama’s testimony a lie and stating that the party intends to bring his remarks before the Supreme Court as slander.
By Tamilla Hasanova