Juan Manuel Sánchez Gordillo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Juan Manuel Sánchez Gordillo
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| Mayor of Marinaleda | |
| In office 6 May 1979 – 17 June 2023 |
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| Succeeded by | Sergio Gómez Reyes |
| Deputy of the Parliament of Andalusia for Seville |
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| In office 8 July 1994 – 12 March 2000 |
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| In office 13 April 2008 – 26 November 2014 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 February 1952 Marinaleda, Seville, Spain |
| Political party | Unitarian Candidacy of Workers |
| Children | Misrain and Libertad |
| Profession | High school history teacher |
Juan Manuel Sánchez Gordillo (born 5 February 1952) is a Spanish politician, a leader for workers' rights, and a history teacher. He served as the Mayor of Marinaleda from 1979 to 2023. He was also a Member of Parliament (MP) for the United Left (IU) in the Parliament of Andalusia for 12 years.
Until 2023, he led the Unitarian Candidacy of Workers (CUT) party. This party was part of the United Left. He was also a leader in the Andalusian Workers' Union, which helps farm workers.
Sánchez Gordillo has a long history of working for the rights of Spanish workers. He helped change Marinaleda from a town with a lot of poverty. It became a place where people shared land and had equal pay. Since the early 1990s, people in Marinaleda have not needed to pay for home loans (mortgages).
In August 2012, Marinaleda had very low unemployment, around 5%. This was much lower than the rest of Spain, where unemployment was 25%. In Andalusia, it was even higher at 34%.
Sánchez Gordillo's Work and Activism
Helping the Poor: The "Robin Hood" Actions
In August 2012, Sánchez Gordillo gained a lot of attention. This was because of actions at supermarkets in nearby towns like Seville and Cádiz. During these events, union members took food without paying for it. This food was then given to poor families and food banks. The items included rice, sugar, pasta, milk, olive oil, and flour.
Sánchez Gordillo himself did not take the food. He waited outside while union members did. Some members were arrested but later released. Sánchez Gordillo had special protection from being arrested because he was a Member of Parliament. However, he said he was willing to give up this protection and go to jail for his cause. He believed it would help his message spread.
Many news reports in English-speaking countries called Sánchez Gordillo a hero. They compared him to Robin Hood. Some Spanish newspapers also called him a modern Robin Hood. Others called him "the revolutionary of Andalusia."
However, some people did not agree with his actions. Alfonso Alonso, a spokesperson for the People's Party in Spain, criticized him. He said, "One can’t be Robin Hood and at the same time earning a salary as the sheriff of Nottingham."
March for Change: The Anti-Austerity Protest
On August 16, 2012, Sánchez Gordillo started a three-week march. He walked all the way to Madrid. Along the way, he planned to protest at banks. He also wanted to convince local governments to refuse to pay their debts. He urged them not to follow strict money-saving rules (austerity measures). One of these protests included a short occupation of a Unicaja bank branch. This happened in a town called Mancha Real.
In Spanish: Juan Manuel Sánchez Gordillo para niños
