Vox breaks with its youth wing amid corruption accusations

BarcelonaOpen warfare has erupted on the Spanish far right, with accusations of corruption leading to a split between Revuelta, a youth group closely aligned with Vox, and Santiago Abascal's party. Revuelta emerged during the negotiations for Pedro Sánchez's investiture, opposing the Spanish president's alleged "coup" over the amnesty, but gained significant traction following the devastating floods in the Valencian Community. It is precisely their actions in the days following last year's torrential rains that have pitted the two organizations against each other.

From the outset, Revuelta adopted Vox's ideological framework and involved members, activists, and staff of the far-right party, including those from its headquarters on Bambú Street in Madrid, with direct support from the head of the party's European delegation, Jorge Buxadé, according to sources consulted by ARA. However, three months ago, suspicions of embezzlement of funds from donations related to the DANA storm led to what happened this week: Vox's total debacle with Revuelta, which denies corruption And it speaks of an attempt by Vox to "take over" the organization. What happened, and how did Buxadé and Vox's scheme fall apart?

The far-right party has filed a complaint against Revuelta for the misappropriation of funds, allegedly involving "hundreds of thousands of euros" from DANA relief aid, which supposedly went to leaders of the organization or to actions other than those promised. The Independent Authority for the Protection of Whistleblowers has received the document from Abascal's party, as reported by OK Daily and confirmed by the ARA.

There is a string of people linked to the party who have spoken out with accusations of corruption, such as the entity's former spokesperson. Elsa Almeda –linked to Vox– or Pau Ruiz –a Vox employee in the Parliament and known on social media as Spainball—, in addition to others such as Arturo Villarroya, Buxadé's advisor in the European Parliament and a member of the board of Revuelta. The Plural has published some audio recordings In it, Villarroya comments that, following suspicions of corruption, Buxadé wants to "eliminate" Revuelta because "kill the firefly, kill the poison," and that he himself is also acting as the party leader's enforcer. The elimination was a condition for avoiding legal action, which has now been filed.

According to Vox sources familiar with the situation, alarm bells rang when they learned that Revuelta was not even a legal entity, but merely a brand, and that everything was managed through Asoma—an association that supposedly helps the elderly—and that it failed to provide bank statements or details of what was done with the women. Those singled out are Jaime Hernández, leader of Revuelta, known for having worked at Vox, as well as Pablo González Gasca, also a frequent visitor to the party's national headquarters. Two members of Revuelta's leadership, Villarroya and Javier Esteban—at Buxadé's urging—have filed a complaint, which the public prosecutor's office is already reviewing, arguing that in October they requested information about the financial management and the destination of the DANA (isolated high-altitude depression) funds and received no response. In fact, the spokesperson in Congress, Pepa Millán, distanced the party from Revuelta, stating that it "is not part" of Vox, following the strategy of emphasizing that there is no "organic" link.

When the entity refuses to submit the accounts, the offensive against Hernández's inner circle begins, which they call the Hair From Vox. They suspect that some donations, instead of reaching the victims of the DANA storm, have been used for promotional events or trips abroad. Revuelta's opinion is very different, attributing the conflict to "the refusal to hand over confidential documents for use by party structures." Former Vox leaders such as Iván Espinosa de los Monteros and the former leader of Castile and León, Juan García Gallardo, also... They've become entangled in the controversy

And, as if that weren't enough, support for the Revuelta leadership has emerged from leaders linked to the ultraconservative religious sect El Yunque, like Javier Villamor or Marcial Cuquerella.

The Buxadé factor

The protests at the PSOE headquarters on Ferraz Street were just one link in a chain of unrest, which often ended in clashes, but it all began with the warmth of those who are now complainants: "Some were from the party and others weren't, but there were Vox workers, communications staff, and youth members linked to the party," sources within the party told this newspaper. However, things have shifted in the last three months, and Buxadé, who was "very involved" with "many collaborations" with Revuelta, "has taken the reins" of the situation, according to the sources. They recall that the MEP has significant experience as a state attorney and that he managed the accounts of the Joan Boscà Foundation, an instrumentality for Societat Civil Catalana, and that "he provided them with assistance."

Buxadé has given considerable prominence to entities like Revuelta, as well as other "satellites" such as Reconquista, Students for Change, and the Solidarity union, in a full-blown strategy to gain strength in the streets, among young people and workers. But beyond the fact that the union is a direct creation of the party, there is a whole string of associations with the Vox spirit that sources within the party acknowledge that "like all parties, Vox also wants to control," but that when there is a lack of transparency and serious suspicions of corruption, a break was necessary.