Podemos is investigating, through its Commission for Democratic Guarantees, a body of the party in charge of ensuring the rights of its members and the rules of the organization, the complaint for sexual harassment in the workplace against the only councilor of the party in Lanzarote, Nicolás Saavedra.
According to the general secretary of Podemos Canarias, Noemí Santana, Nicolás Saavedra has not been expelled from the party and remains a member and registered of the purple organization.
In this sense, the party's representative on the island, Nona Perera, has also stated that the formation on the island will maintain "a neutral attitude" until the resolution is known and has shown "its total support for the truth".
In statements to La Voz, Santana has indicated that the party is awaiting the decision of the Guarantees Commission to achieve "a fair process for him and for the complainant" and has preferred not to comment on the accusations in order not to interfere "in the independence" between the Executive in the Canary Islands and the body that investigates this type of cases at the national level.
It is not the first time that this body has had to investigate a sexual complaint. It already received the complaint for alleged sexual violence against the founder of the party Juan Carlos Monedero. This case also ended up in court, and the Prosecutor's Office dismissed the complaint against Monedero and the party leadership for concealment.
The number two of Podemos in Tías denounced the leader of the party
The former advisor of the only councilor of Podemos in the City Council of Tías and number two of the party in the municipality filed last May a complaint against Nicolás Saavedra for a crime of sexual harassment in the workplace.
Mónica Peña accused the councilor of Social Welfare of the consistory of "making sexual and macho comments inside and outside of work".
According to her version, they met in 2014, because they were members of Podemos. After several years without coinciding, they returned to work together in 2022 in the Cabildo of Lanzarote and until now also in the City Council of Tías. Peña was dismissed this May 28 from her duties as advisor.
In the complaint to which La Voz has been able to access, Peña has assured that "all the problems began" a year and a half ago, when she began a romantic relationship with her current partner.
In addition, Peña has indicated that Saavedra allegedly showed her pornography videos on his mobile and said: "Look how my friends greet me, look what friends I have, let's see when you say good morning to me." To which she added that, on another occasion, he would have shown her sexual messages with a woman he had met on Tinder, where she said "Nico, Nico, fuck me." At that time, the councilor allegedly asked her when she would say good morning to him in the same way.
