Vox candidate Jordi de la Fuente faces hate crime trial

Jordi de la Fuente, the Vox candidate for Tarragona, is scheduled to stand trial in July 2027 for alleged hate crimes related to a 2019 assault on a center for unaccompanied minors in El Masnou, Barcelona.

The prosecution is seeking a prison sentence of between two years and two months and four years and four months for seven individuals involved. Specifically, for De la Fuente, the prosecutor is requesting two years and two months in prison, along with disqualification from holding public office and a prohibition from approaching the shelter. The charges involve incitement to hatred, hostility, violence, or discrimination based on national origin.

Vox spokesperson Samuel Vázquez has defended the candidate, asserting that De la Fuente will be found innocent and characterizing the legal proceedings as a “machinery” against the political party. The case has faced delays due to jurisdictional disputes; if De la Fuente is elected to Congress in the upcoming November 29 elections, the trial may be suspended and transferred to the Supreme Court.