PSOE employs an old image to criticize PP's elite amidst a flurry of wildfire incidents
In the realm of Spanish politics, a recent social media controversy has arisen, involving the misuse of an image featuring Galician President Alfonso Rueda. The image, which was not taken during the ongoing forest fires in Castile and Leon and Galicia, was initially published on August 30, 2021, and was not depicting the leaders of the Popular Party together in Cadiz while the regions of Castile and Leon and Galicia were burning, as suggested in a tweet by the Socialist Party.
The tweet, which has since been deleted, referred to the leader of the Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, as "his boss," a reference that was not present in the original image. The Marqués del Ventorro, a title that refers to the Valencian leader, Carlos Mazón, was also included in the tweet, but not in the image itself.
This incident marks a continuation of the ongoing Twitter war between the PSOE and the Popular Party, with multiple politicians, including Oscar Puente, Juanma Moreno, Alfonso Fernandez-Manzano, and Alfonso Rueda, being involved. The Minister of Transport has targeted Juanma Moreno and Alfonso Fernandez-Manzano over their management of forest fires in Andalusia and Castile and Leon, while the spokesman for the PSOE in the Valencian Courts, José Muñoz, has targeted Carlos Mazón and his management of damage.
Interestingly, this is not the first time that the tactic of misrepresenting an old image for political purposes has been employed. The Socialist Party has been accused of using this tactic, and it appears that José Muñoz has followed suit. The natural area of Las Médulas, a region governed by Alfonso Fernandez-Manzano, was also targeted in the Minister of Transport's criticism.
As of now, no authoritative or widely reported fact-check about this incident is presently available in the indexed sources. For up-to-date and reliable verification, it is recommended to consult official fact-checking organizations, reputable news outlets, or social media platforms’ transparency reports.
- The misuse of an image in a Twitter war between the PSOE and the Popular Party, though not unique, serves as an example of how politics and fashion, with political leaders being portrayed in certain ways for electoral gain, intersect with war-and-conflicts and policy-and-legislation, as forest fires and their management are central to the ongoing debates.
- The ongoing controversy surrounding the misuse of an image involving Galician President Alfonso Rueda has shed light on the role of general-news sources in providing factual and reliable information, as no authoritative or widely reported fact-check about this incident is available, underscoring the importance of consulting official fact-checking organizations, reputable news outlets, or social media platforms’ transparency reports for up-to-date and accurate details.
