Pedro Antonio Sánchez

Pedro Antonio Sánchez López
President of the Region of Murcia
In office July 3, 2015[1] – April 4, 2017
Preceded by	Alberto Garre
Succeeded by	Fernando López Miras
Secretary of Education, Culture and Universities of the Region of Murcia
In office April 11, 2014 – July 3, 2015
Preceded by	Pedro Alberto Cruz
Succeeded by	María Isabel Sánchez Mora(Education) Noelia Hernández Arroyo (Culture)
Mayor of Puerto Lumbreras
In office June 14, 2003 – July 24, 2013
Preceded by	José Cerrillo Barnés
Succeeded by	María Ángeles Túnez García
Member of the Regional Assembly of Murcia
Incumbent
Assumed office May 25, 2003
Personal details
Born	Pedro Antonio Sánchez López (1976-01-30)January 30, 1976 Villoslada de Cameros, Spain
Political party	People's Party (PP)
Alma mater	University of Granada

Pedro Antonio Sánchez López (born January 30, 1976 Puerto Lumbreras) is a Spanish politician and member of the right People's Party (PP) political party in the southern Region of Murcia. He has served as the 6th democratically elected President of the Region of Murcia since July 3, 2015,^[1] following the PP's victory in the May 2015 Murcian parliamentary election.

Sánchez's PP retained a majority in the Regional Assembly of Murcia, but lost eleven seats compared to 2011. Sanchez was elected President of Murcia with the support of the 22 PP members in the Regional Assembly, as well as four members of Ciudadanos party.^[1][2]

Sánchez was sworn in as President on Friday evening, July 3, 2015, at a ceremony at the Palacio de San Esteban.^[1][3] His government was seated on Sunday, July 5, 2015.^[1]

On February 20, 2017, he was called to testify on March 6 in a case of corruption as an accused. On April 3, he was accused by the judge Eloy Velasco of participating in the case known as Trama Púnica (in Spanish), which led to his resignation as President of Murcia on the following day, one day before the scheduled vote of no confidence in the Regional Assembly.^[4]

In September 2022 the trial for the 'auditorium case' began, in which "the PP politician is prosecuted for continued prevarication and fraud in subsidies, addresses the construction of a theater in Puerto Lumbreras in 2005 ".^[5][6]

In March 2023, the Provincial Court of Murcia condemns the former president of Murcia Pedro Antonio Sánchez to three years in prison, a fine of 3,600 euros, and 17 years and three months of special disqualification for public office or employment, considering him guilty of prevarication and falsehood in relation to the Puerto Lumbreras auditorium project when he was mayor of the town.^[7][8]

He lives in Miami (USA) where he set up a consultancy and deals with businessmen and investors of all kinds acting as an intermediary^[9]

References

1. Nicol, Keith (2015-07-03). "Sánchez government starts Sunday". Round Town News. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
2. "Pedro Antonio Sánchez Voted New President Of Murcia". Murcia Today. 2015-07-01. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
3. "Pedro Antonio Sánchez, investido presidente de la Región de Murcia con el apoyo de PP y C's". Europa Press (news agency). 2015-06-30. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
4. "Dimite el presidente de Murcia Pedro Antonio Sánchez". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 2017-04-04. Retrieved 2017-04-04.
5. Vadillo, Virginia (2022-09-27). "El expresidente de Murcia Pedro Antonio Sánchez se sienta en el banquillo por el 'caso Auditorio'". El País (in Spanish).
6. "Pedro Antonio Sánchez se sienta en el banquillo". La Verdad (in Spanish). 2022-09-25.
7. Fontes, Ignacio (2023-03-11). "Murcia, entre la corrupción y la barbarie". elDiario.es (in Spanish).
8. Reche, Elisa (2023-03-07). "El giro del PP en el 'caso Auditorio': de las "presiones" a un fiscal, al "declarar para aclarar" y el #YoConPedroAntonio". elDiario.es (in Spanish).
9. García Badía, Jorge (2023-03-06). "El expresidente de Murcia Pedro Antonio Sánchez (PP) recurrirá su condena de cárcel desde Miami". El Español (in Spanish).