The Minister of Territorial Policy announces his cancer status: "It's operable, and I will remain active."

BarcelonaThe Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, announced this Sunday that he has cancer and will undergo surgery at the end of April. "It's operable and I will remain active," he stated at the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) congress in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where he attended to close the event. The Canarian politician stated that he is still undergoing the operation "with optimism and the firm belief that it will go well." After announcing this, those attending the rally expressed their support through prolonged applause. "We will return stronger," he emphasized, and predicted a bright future.

Sources at the ministry explain that he will continue with his schedule in a "less intense" manner until the operation and that, therefore, Torres remains in charge of the portfolio. "He is neither leaving politics nor leaving the ministry," they indicate. The Canary Islander assumed the position of minister in 2023 and has also been the general secretary of the PSOE in the Canary Islands since 2017. In fact, the socialists have been the first to react to the announcement of the disease: "We are sure that you will return with great strength," the PSOE expressed through the social network X. A quote of praise: "He is one of the most brilliant and committed public servants I have ever met in my life. But above all, he is a generous and caring person of immense quality. Much encouragement, dear friend," she expressed. The First Vice President and Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero, also offered her best wishes to him, as well as Félix Bolaños and José Manuel Albares, passing through the rest of the socialist portfolios. He has also received encouragement from the Canary Islands President, Fernando Clavijo, and other heads of government such as the President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa.

Ángel Víctor Torres was one of the regional presidents who ceased to govern after the regional elections of May 28, 2023. For the past four years, he had held the presidency of the Canary Islands, until the PP and Coalición Canaria removed it from him. He was the leader of the Socialists in the regional Parliament, as well as the general secretary of the PSOE in the community. During his term, he had to deal with the eruption of the La Palma volcano. By profession, he is a secondary school language and literature teacher, although he has been involved in politics for years: he has been mayor of his town for several terms and also a member of Congress from 2009 to 2011, among others. Torres took over from Isabel Rodríguez, current Minister of Housing, as well as part of the portfolio held by Félix Bolaños with the addition of Democratic Memory.

Recently, he has also been involved in the negotiation on migration policies, since the distribution among the autonomous communities of unaccompanied minors in the Canary Islands until the agreement with Junts per powers in immigration mattersHe is, therefore, the Minister of Migration Agreements, who has clashed with the PP on numerous occasions over the criteria for reception, but he is also responsible for dealing with the autonomous regions, for example in the process of transferring territories such as the Basque Country – through bilateral commissions. He has also led negotiations for the reform of the Immigration Law and is leading the commemoration of the 50 years since the death of dictator Francisco Franco to demand "freedom" in Spain, working for historical memory based on the anniversary.