In September 2023, just two months after the general elections and in full negotiations for the investiture of the new president, we can receive two complaints from two women who warned of behaviors that they themselves describe as “sexual violence” by one of their Founders, Juan Carlos Monedero, who until May had held the presidency of the Republic and Democracy Institute, the foundation linked to the party. As Ha and has been able to confirm the country, the first of the testimonies arrived via email and the second moved directly through members of the Directorate of Podemos. In this second case, the complainant asked the party to withdraw the Professor of Political Science from any organic activity. Formation sources directed by Ione Belarra have confirmed this Thursday that “they acted from the first minute and took Juan Carlos Monedero from the activity of the party at the time he had knowledge of testimonies of sexual violence, in September 2023.”
“The priority of the organization has been at all times to fulfill its obligation to be a safe space for all women, in addition to recognizing those who have offered their testimony and respecting their decisions,” they add. To questions from this newspaper, the one who was one of the key figures in the creation of the party ensures that in a context of confrontation with Irene Montero for the unity of space to him that he could have an open file and that the address is denies. He believes that “talking about harassment is trying to harm” and criticizes that everything happens at the gates of the V Assembly of Podemos.
The first complaint received on September 12 in the email of the Ministry of Feminisms of the party, then in the hands of the Secretary of State for Equality, Ángela Rodríguez, said that for years Monedero has been dedicated to “handling and bothering young women In party environments, ”he said that on the Somosaguas campus (where he taught), he knew his behavior and had even painted his behavior and criticizes that the party was in the party “Joke” with this topic.
“Good afternoon, I get in touch with you because I have direct knowledge for years and it is Vox Pópuli that Mr. Juan Carlos Monedero is dedicated to bothering and groading young women in party environments in which he has access to them. The latest events in which it has occurred and of those who have knowledge have been in the demonstration of March 8 and the spring party in Zaragoza. These behaviors include grabbing from behind surrounding the arms, making touch and rear touch, inappropriate comments about very young women. All of the above with girls who just met or who has no confidence, ”says the complaint, which continues his first person from the plural:“ We also have knowledge of an incident in which Mr. Monedero tried to kiss a partner Being drunk and similar episodes have occurred being in a state of drunkenness. ”
“On the Somosaguas campus, his behavior is known and even two years ago he was pointed out as a stalker teacher on the 8M. There was a graffiti six years ago in relation to their behavior. The worst of all this is that we are aware that these behaviors are almost a “joke” within the party, it has even jokes with the issue in front of people who are in charge of Podemos and have been unchanged. There are girls who have asked directly to people who intervene and only tell them to do so in public but who cannot go against a “friend.”
In her message, the complainant says that “the appropriate thing is to do something internally because if it becomes public, it would be worse of the times that this has been informed of the party in general and of people of the party in particular and has been ignored. Because I know that a partner has tried for months to talk to a people who is no longer in the game but still have enough influence and that has left her quite homeless. He only advises him to make it public knowing what this is for a victim.
Upon receiving that complaint, the party responded and activated the procedure, moving that letter to the guarantees commission, which offered the complainant a confidential and safe way to provide concrete testimonies of the facts, as can be verified in the exchange of mail to those who have been able to access the country. “In order to initiate the file, it is essential that it be processed through the form enabled for this of the State Democratic Guarantees Commission. In this way, the relevant actions can be initiated to clarify the specific facts that are denounced and thus adopt the relevant measures, relating to our internal regulations, which in their case proceed, ”said said commission on October 3. The party, he says, did not get an answer to that communication.
On the same dates, several members of the Directorate of Podemos received another testimony of a woman victim of sexual violence by Monedero. This second woman expressly requested an internal performance for Monedero to stop participating in the acts of the organization. We can now affirm that it acted and stopped summoning the activities of the party to Monedero, which since 2015 did not hold any position in the direction and that in May 2023 he had abandoned the Republic and Democracy Institute. His resignation was known, however, on September 14, coinciding with the dates of complaints. In the party they ensure that if it was not done before it was because in May they were immersed in a deep institutional crisis, with a drip of leaks towards adding and in full negotiations for the candidacy for the generals. At that time, with the accusations already presented and before the news of his resignation to the position of president of the Institute, the General Secretary, Ione Belarra, thanked the wallet’s work in networks. “Thank you very much for your tireless work in Podemos but, above all, for having always devised for your magnificent militancy. The easy thing, with all the attacks you have received, was to have abandoned. We continue fighting together, ”the deputy praised.
The professor of Political Science continued directing a program on Channel Red, the television of Pablo Iglesias, Monedero had been critical of the management line and both then staged a more or less friendly exit, although making clear discrepancies.
Thank you very much for your tireless work in Podemos but, above all, for having always devised for your magnificent militancy. The easy thing, with all the attacks you have received, was to have abandoned. We keep fighting together💜
– Ione grass (@ionebelarra)
The co -founder of the party slides now that the problems with the direction began at the time they begin to face the vision of the former equality minister. “I believed that we had to continue with the unit on the left and help recover, at least, the 35 seats that Unidos had achieved. The other strategy was to consolidate the figure of Montero. The two were legitimate. In that environment it comes to me that I can have a file. I write on January 29, 2024 Ione Belarra asking if I have an open file, to what he answers, angry with the news, which is a lie. I am also bouncing a message from the manager of Podemos saying: There is no complaint to purse in guarantees. So that the circulation of that file was still circulating some person interested in attacking me, ”he says.
The professor affirms that the testimonies “are all of the spring party, where after the events a party was organized where everyone danced with everyone, there were collective dances and a festive atmosphere until three.” “There has been talk of” harassment. ” As in all parties, people seek to meet people. Because it was a party. But there are no chats, messages, no insistence of any kind to anyone after that day. Not a single message. So talking about harassment is clearly trying to harm, ”insists a purse, which argues that all this occurs in the environment of the Assembly of Podemos and the rise in the party surveys. The former director also criticizes that the same ones who have defended Íñigo Errejón from the Aggression complaint of Elisa Mouliaá, are now attacking it.
This same week between an expressor of Channel Red (led by Pablo Iglesias) and a third person who reported inappropriate monitor behaviors with several women. “I listen to your statements with people with proven animosity to Podemos, without more evidence and with thick phrases, and it does not seem very fair. You cannot “sound” something crime and release it, as others have done just just because they were full of anger, ”replied the former leader in networks. Also the exEudiputada Lola Sánchez, confronted with the dome of Podemos for a long time, told a few days ago on the X network that on one occasion a purse “embedded her against the wall” to access her home.
