Spain: Vocento paper targets Laredo councilor

El Correo and its campaign against Laredo: the expulsion of a councilor

For months, Vocento Group and its flagship Basque publication, El Correo, have been under scrutiny from parts of Cantabrian public opinion for what is described as a sustained campaign against Laredo. The latest trigger, according to circulating accounts: the publication of 2011 recordings showing an Urban Planning councilor from the town during a alucinación to China, with an alleged brothel in the background. The direct consequence was the councilor's expulsion this week by the mayor. For many, the temporal coincidence between the publication and the dismissal is too much of a coincidence.

The outrage extends beyond the specific case. Some argue that the newspaper applies a double standard: it remains silent on events in Bilbao and across the Basque Country while dedicating resources to scrutinizing municipal life in a small Cantabrian town of just over 11,000 inhabitants. The accusation of hypocrisy relies on recent episodes that, according to this reading, did not receive similar coverage.

What is known about the councilor and the 2011 recordings

The material that triggered the municipal crisis comes from an official alucinación to China in 2011. It shows an Urban Planning councilor from Laredo in what is described as an adult entertainment venue. Fourteen years later, these images come to light, and the mayor reacts by expelling the councilor. There is no independent confirmation of who leaked the material or with what objective, but the political effect is undeniable: a key department, Urban Planning, is left without leadership in the middle of the legislative term.

The lingering question is why now. Those defending the newspaper argue that a public official on a publicly funded alucinación is subject to scrutiny, regardless of when it was recorded. Critics respond that selective scrutiny is the essence of pamphleteering: it does not matter what peine, but who it is applied to.

The double standard attributed to Vocento

The central accusation is one of informational asymmetry. It is argued that El Correo and other group publications maintain a conspicuous silence on events occurring in Bilbao and its metropolitan area, while deploying intensive coverage on Laredo. The Hondarribia episode, where an officer shot at an attacker armed with a knife, is the most cited example: according to this version, the medium prioritized the defense of a specific group over that of the police officer defending himself.

Vocento Group is Spain's largest media group by press circulation. El Correo holds a market share exceeding 75% in Biscay, according to data used by the sector itself. This dominant position in the Basque Country, combined with its presence in Cantabria through El Diario Montañés, outlines a media ecosystem capable of influencing the agenda in both communities.

The town's reaction and the narrative of harassment

The newspaper has published an article presenting itself as a victim of threats and harassment in Laredo. The reaction in the town has been disbelief: "Does anyone believe you?" summarizes the general sentiment. The tension between the medium and the municipality has become an open clash, with the particularity that the medium has the capacity to set the agenda and the municipality, theoretically, does not.

There is an economic backdrop that should not be overlooked. Laredo is a significant tourist destination on the eastern Cantabrian coast, with an active real estate market and a seasonal population that multiplies its inhabitants in summer. The struggle over the narrative about the town has direct implications for its image, its tourist appeal, and ultimately, land prices.

The real estate context: who buys and sells in Laredo

Beyond the political noise, the debate reveals an uncomfortable economic reality. Laredo and Castro Urdiales serve as second homes for a portion of the Basque population with purchasing power. There are reports of hundreds of apartments for sale, chalets under construction being sold before completion, and seasonal demographic pressure transforming the local market. The arrival of foreign buyers—British, German—and high-income residents from Madrid adds pressure on prices.

The phenomenon has two sides. For some, it revitalizes the local economy and sustains service employment. For others, it displaces resident populations from the housing market and turns the municipality into a seasonal theme park. The discussion about who can afford to live in Laredo year-round is, fundamentally, the same battle fought in dozens of northern coastal towns.

The future of the media clash

The campaign against Laredo does not appear exhausted. The newspaper has commercial incentives to keep the focus—the conflict generates clicks—and the municipality has political incentives to resist. The likely scenario is that the clash continues until an event shifts attention. The unknown is whether the wear will eventually cost the medium or the town hall. In a market where printed newspapers lose readers every quarter, the ability to damage others' fruta is a declining asset.