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Police suspect a professional hit on Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca, 78, who is a long-time Spanish politician.
A conservative Spanish politician is in serious but stable condition after he was shot in the face in a brazen assassination attempt on a public sidewalk earlier today.
Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca, 78, was walking on Núñez de Balboa Street in Madrid around 1:30 p.m. today when he was approached by a man wearing a helmet and coat who had just gotten off a motorcycle, according to the Spanish language El Pais. The man reportedly shot Roca once through the jaw and then escaped on the motorcycle.
Roca was taken to a local hospital where he is conscious and in serious condition with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police are reportedly scouring CCTV surveillance footage to help track and identify the suspect. Police sources privately say they think this was a professional hit that required extensive planning.
Roca has been a leading figure in Spain’s conservative political movement. He was part of the right-wing People’s Party of Catalonia and Vox, and also served as a member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2014 and First Vice President of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2007.
He's opposed marriage equality in the past.
Roca strongly opposed a new agreement between the socialist government and Catalonian separatists, calling it a cowardly attempt to stay in power by the prime minister.
“The infamous pact between Sánchez and Puigdemont that crushes the rule of law in Spain and ends the separation of powers has already been agreed,” Roca posted to X Twitter. “Our Nation will thus cease to be a liberal democracy and become a totalitarian tyranny. We Spaniards will not allow it.”
