The Hazte Oír association based its recent legal actions on various testimonies from workers who revealed situations that, according to the company, reflected inappropriate behavior attributed to the former high-ranking official of Moncloa, Francisco Salazar, in relevant premises such as the PSOE headquarters and offices in Moncloa. The group filed a complaint with the Plaza de Castilla court in Madrid for alleged sexual harassment and violation of moral integrity, while at the same time, as part of the same legal action, brought to the attention of Antonio Hernández – former director of the Political Coordination Department of the Presidential Cabinet – and the government delegate in Madrid, Francisco Martín Aguirre, alleged dereliction of duty to prosecute and alleged cover-up. According to Hazte Oír’s statement, according to the first communications from employees, these officers played an important role in protecting Salazar and obstructing possible internal investigations.
The media Hazte Oír detailed in the statement that the decision to resort to judicial channels came in the context of an inadequacy that, in its opinion, characterized the institutional and partisan response to complaints affecting senior officials close to the government. According to the organization, there were testimonies in which Hernández was accused of acting as an “accomplice” and “accessory,” as reported by people who warned of the alleged irregular behavior, while Aguirre was suspected of possible abuse of functions in order to stop the initiation and progress of official or internal investigations from within.
Public concern about the case increased with the dismissal of Antonio Hernández, which was announced on Wednesday at the same time as the complaint was filed in the State Gazette and, according to Hazte Oír, was interpreted as a direct response to increased social and media pressure. Hernández, previously considered Salazar’s right-hand man, expressed to the media his intention to renounce all his responsibilities in both the central executive and the Andalusian structure of the PSOE, considering that his departure was the most appropriate in the context created. As Hazte Oír reported, the dismissal of Francisco Salazar as Secretary General for Institutional Coordination in Moncloa and his departure from the organic leadership of the PSOE came into force on July 5th.
As the association expanded in the documents released to the media, the response of the government and the PSOE included the immediate dismissal of the officials involved once the complaints were addressed in internal committees, as well as the activation of the relevant protection protocols for possible victims. Government sources quoted in national media insisted that these measures corresponded to the seriousness of the allegations and guaranteed that the investigation could move forward with appropriate institutional cooperation.
According to the complaint filed by Hazte Oír, the company considered that the administrative measures implemented so far were insufficient and questioned the effectiveness of the existing protocols in the public administration and in the PSOE in cases involving high-ranking political officials. The organization argued that both Salazar, Hernández and Aguirre had “enjoyed the full protection of the PSOE” up to that point, as it said in its official statement, and stressed the need for justice to intervene to protect the integrity of the investigation and the people who filed the complaints.
In the statement signed by Hazte Oír and reproduced by various national media, the company denounced the alleged passivity of the institutions and called for greater transparency and the introduction of solid mechanisms that facilitate the reporting of cases of sexual harassment by workers in public administration and guarantee confidentiality and protection from possible retaliation. He also called for reforms to the legal and internal procedures of parties and state organizations to avoid paralysis, delays or archiving of files when complaints concern senior officials.
The central executive and the PSOE, in line with the statements made by official sources in journalistic media, defended the application of their protocols and the proportionality of the decisions taken, and reiterated their commitment to advance cooperation with the judicial authorities and the control authorities themselves in order to clarify the facts. They added that the measures taken, such as the immediate dismissals and taking into account the workers’ statements, should ensure both respect for the rights of those who accused them and the objectivity and legality of the entire process.
Hazte Oír, in his statement consulted by various media, explained that the ongoing judicial process aims to clarify responsibilities from both a criminal and administrative perspective. The organization stressed that its initiative aims to focus on the need to advance impartial and comprehensive investigations and the urgency of establishing effective protective structures for complaining personnel. She emphasized that trust in institutions depends on the response to events such as those described in the complaint.
The current treatment of the case, according to Hazte Oír, will allow us to assess the scope of the measures carried out both at the government level and in the internal administration of the party, and will set a precedent for the responsibility of the control and supervisory authorities in situations of this type. The formal filing of the complaint integrates the organization’s call for comprehensive reforms of the institutional architecture with the aim of preventing cases of workplace harassment and sexual harassment from receiving any protection from political power structures, a situation that, according to the association, increases the risk of impunity.
Hazte Oír concluded in its note that judicial intervention is a priority in cases where internal responses do not provide guarantees of sufficient objectivity, and stressed the importance of strengthening the protection of those who report workplace harassment situations in an official context. Both Salazar, Hernández and Aguirre, the group added, must stand trial to determine the degree of responsibility to which they are entitled, while society and those affected themselves await clarification of the facts and a possible institutional correction of the deficiencies identified in the handling of this type of complaint in the public and political sectors.
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