Several of the main collaborators of Pablo Iglesias on Podemos television have taken control of the Madrid Journalists Union (SPM) in its VI Congress after presenting an alternative candidacy by surprise and shortly before the end of the term. The result was the unexpected victory of the list headed by Sergio Gregori, presenter of one of the flagship programs of Canal Red, who became the new general secretary after winning over the list promoted by the previous leadership.
Gregori, whose program El Tablero imitates the format of Al Rojo Vivo by Antonio García Ferreras, is one of the co-founders who launched Canal Red a few months ago under the leadership of the former general secretary of Podemos. Since the start of its broadcasts, this new platform has become the new pulpit from which Iglesias intervenes in politics and also from which the interests of the leadership of Podemos are supported or from which the media and journalists are discredited. .
Now, in addition, the team closest to Iglesias has under its control one of the unions that has the most presence in the works councils of the main national media. The committees and all the staff delegates from Expansión, El Confidencial, La Razón, Público, Grupo Europa Press, Servimedia, the delegation of El Periódico de Catalunya and Ediciones Reunidas (magazines from the Prensa Ibérica group) belong to the SPM in its entirety. In addition, it has representatives on the committees of EL MUNDO, Cadena SER, Círculo de Bellas Artes and Ilunion Retail and Marketing (of the ONCE Group).
Along with Gregori, other prominent members of the Iglesias channel, such as Inna Afinogenova, also form part of the new Executive Board of the Madrid Journalists Union. She was one of Vladimir Putin's great Spanish-language propagandists for Spain and Latin America until she signed up for his podcast shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Since then, Afinogenova has been part of the team closest to the former leader of Podemos and regularly intervenes in the content and the program. Another of the people linked to Canal Red is Xavi Matas, who is a filmmaker.
In Gregori's candidacy, profiles outside of Canal Red but also highly politically significant were also part of the new management team, such as the journalist Cristina Fallarás, who has participated in a few Podemos events; or Elizabeth Duval, writer and opinion maker.
Gregori's victory occurred within the framework of the VI Congress of the SPM, held last Saturday in the capital. The co-founder of Canal Red submitted his candidacy when the deadline for submission was approaching. It was an unexpected alternative because until then there was only going to be one list, the one that promoted the previous direction.
In addition to this last-minute movement, the surprising presence of some twenty young people who came to vote called attention. The result was 30 votes in favor of Gregori's candidacy for the 16 supports received by the official list. Forty-six of the union's approximately 550 members participated.
The new general secretary of the SPM replaces Marta Sánchez Esparza at the head of the Executive Board, where she will have a majority even if she is going to integrate members of the losing list.
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