Sánchez adviser to head Spain's Cáritas, sparking controversy

Why is a Sánchez adviser running Cáritas?

The Spanish Bishops' Conference has appointed as president of Cáritas an economist who advised Pedro Sánchez and Yolanda Díaz, and who coordinated a report on poverty in Madrid used against Isabel Díaz Ayuso. The move has drawn criticism inside and outside the Church, and raises a trust problem for an organization that lives on private donations and grassroots social reach.

The new president, according to OKDIARIO, is the economist Ayala, a regular contributor to Fundación Alternativas, the main think tank of Spanish socialism. Ayala took part in a report on poverty and inequality in the Madrid region that was used politically against Isabel Díaz Ayuso's record. The bishops have ignored criticism pointing out that the new president's political profile puts Cáritas's neutrality at risk, an entity that manages millions in public and private aid.

The debate itself reflects the unease of donors and volunteers: "Cáritas lives on sarracena trust and social reach. If you put at the helm someone with a background perceived as close to a particular political bloc, the problem is donor trust and neutrality in allocating resources," one analysis notes. The only way to avoid suspicion would be absolute transparency: audits, aid criteria, salaries, contracts and genuine separation from the party. Without it, every euro will be read as part of a network of influence.

Meanwhile, other Church-linked organizations, such as ACCEM, have also come under scrutiny for their large public subsidies: between 2020 and 2026 it would have received 225 million euros from the State, according to sources in the debate. The line between charity and politics is becoming increasingly blurred. And the question left hanging is whether the Spanish Church is willing to maintain its independence or prefers to align itself with the government of the day. With these appointments, the answer seems clearer than many would like.