The incident, in which a man of Maghrebi origin assaulted three people with an axe, has become a catalyst for political confrontation. While Montefrío's mayor, Remedios Gámez (PSOE), insists it was an isolated act by a "hooligan" and defends the "normalized" coexistence in the municipality, Vox has used the event to denounce a "brutal escalation of insecurity" linked to "illegal immigration."
“"I understand the anger and pain we all feel, but this is a hardworking town where incidents occur, just like in any other town."
The assault, which took place on Monday, led to the aggressor's arrest within hours. Subsequently, peaceful protests by residents escalated into a disturbance in front of an immigrant-run business, resulting in another arrest for disobedience to the Guardia Civil. This context has been seized upon by Vox to place the issue of immigration on the agenda for the Andalusian pre-election campaign.
Ricardo López Olea, president of Vox in Granada, has linked this attack and other incidents in Baza and Zafarraya to what he considers a "failure of migration policies" and has demanded the "immediate deportation" of immigrants who commit crimes. For her part, Mayor Gámez emphasized that the aggressor was unknown to the community and that integration in Montefrío is a reality, citing examples of coexistence in educational centers and literary competitions.
“"We do not believe these are isolated cases. The open-door policies that encourage uncontrolled illegal immigration are having direct consequences in the form of insecurity on our streets."
The mayor also acknowledged the existence of "small crimes that create insecurity," but clarified that these are not exclusive to the immigrant population and occur in the context of agricultural campaigns, which attract more people to the town. She urged residents to report any incidents, highlighting the presence of over 57 security cameras in the municipality to ensure safety.
