Ángel Matanzo España ( – 5 March 2017) was a Spanish butcher and politician, city councillor of Madrid between 1983 and 1995.

Biography

Born in

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

circa 1937, to a humble family, son of a butcher (father) and a greengrocer (mother), Matanzo managed a butcher's shop. A member of People's Alliance since 1977 he was elected to the City Council of Madrid for the first time in the 1983 municipal election. Re-elected in the 1987 election, after the 1989 successful motion of no confidence against the then Mayor,

Juan Barranco ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, t ...

, who was replaced by

Agustín Rodríguez Sahagún Agustín Rodríguez Sahagún ( Ávila, 27 March 1932 – Paris, 13 October 1991) was a Spanish politician and businessman as well as being a doctor in economics and law who was best known as being the mayor of Madrid from 1989 to 1991. He studi ...

, Matanzo became the city councillor responsible for the

Centro District Centro District is located in the Valles Centrales Region of the State of Oaxaca, Mexico. The district includes the state capital Oaxaca and satellite towns. The district has an average elevation of 1,550 meters. The climate is mild, with average ...

. During a controversial rule, he became singularly known by his

authoritarian Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political ''status quo'', and reductions in the rule of law, separation of powers, and democratic votin ...

measures; closing down stores and launching '' razzias'' against street vending. Matanzo was sacked from the municipal government board by the Mayor

José María Álvarez del Manzano José María Álvarez del Manzano y López del Hierro (born 17 October 1937) is a Spanish politician for the People's Party. Although born in Seville he has lived in Madrid since he was 3 years old. He studied at the Colegio Nuestra Señora de ...

in 1993, after a clash with the Culture's councillor Pedro Ortiz, since Matanzo had decreed the shutting of the Teatro Alfil, as it was the premises where a theatrical play, ''Cabaret Castizo'', was being aired since 5 January. The Eduardo Fuente's play, starred three characters: a talking bear, an arbutus, and a

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

(performed by

Chete Lera Ramón Mariano Fernández Lera (1949–2022), better known as Chete Lera, was a Spanish actor. With a long on-screen career in addition to a stage career, he featured in films such as ''The Red Squirrel'', '' Secrets of the Heart'', '' Familia'', ...

) making the latter a parody out of Matanzo. He was replaced as responsible for the Centro District by María Antonia Suárez. After two years in political ostracism, during which he was degraded to the (unmeaningful) role of "Mayor's provisions consultant", Matanzo left the People's Party in 1995. Matanzo would then get involved in several political initiatives: he joined the Dr. Alfonso Cabezas's Platform of the Independents of Spain (PIE) in 1995, running first in the PIE list for the May 1995 municipal election. In 1997 he became a member of the national council of the

Spanish Democratic Party The Spanish Democratic Party ( es, Partido Demócrata Español; PADE) was a conservative political party in Spain, created as a split from the centre-right People's Party in 1996. Its chairman was Juan Ramón Calero Rodríguez, former PP spokespe ...

(PADE), led by the also former PP politician

Juan Ramón Calero ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, t ...

. He ran again as candidate in the 1999 municipal election, leading the list of the far-right Alianza por la Unidad Nacional, founded by Ricardo Sáenz de Ynestrillas. He died on 5 March 2017 in Pozuelo de Alarcón.

Matanzo in popular culture

Matanzo is mentioned by one of the characters of the ''Historias del Kronen'' novel (upon which the 1995 namesake film is based). The character alludes to the trouble coming up with ways to obtain recreational drugs: "nowadays things are very bleak, particularly since Matanzo is round.. We are becoming more European by the time..." (''ahora que están las cosas muy chungas, sobre todo desde que está el Matanzo... Cada vez somos más europeos'').

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Matanzo, Angel 1930s births 2017 deaths Madrid city councillors (1983–1987) Madrid city councillors (1987–1991) Madrid city councillors (1991–1995)