Junta chief dodges major town on election campaign trail over concerns she would not be ‘welcome’

SUSANA DIAZ, the President of the Junta de Andalucia, has avoided visiting Jaen’s second largest town on her pre-election campaign tour over concerns she would not be welcomed.
The political chief, who has carried out an extensive tour of Andalucia in the weeks leading up to the Andalucian elections this Sunday, bypassed the major town of Linares, instead visiting smaller towns in the province.
Residents of Linares, whose major employer Santana Motor was closed by the Junta in 2011, protested in their thousands against the actions of politicians in Andalucia, who they say failed to pay out compensation and early retirement claims.
In two major demonstrations, between 30,000 and 40,000 residents of Linares came out to condemn the deterioration of their town, which was once known for its prosperity but has been in decline since the closure of the Santana Motor factory.
Instead, Susana Diaz’s campaign bus passed by the town on the A-4 motorway, stopping in nearby Ubeda and Baeza.