Thousands took to the streets on Sunday in Andalusia's eight capitals against the collapse of public healthcare, in the ninth Marea Blanca rally since 2022. The protest, with around 22,000 attendees per National Police estimates, comes a month before the May 17 elections and features opposition left-wing leaders. Demonstrators decry endless waiting lists and health center closures.
Thousands of Andalusians marched through the streets of Seville, Malaga, Granada, Cadiz, Cordoba, Huelva, Jaen, and Almeria on Sunday, April 12, protesting the deterioration of regional public healthcare. National Police counted 22,300 participants total: 5,000 in Seville and Granada, 3,800 in Malaga, 2,000 in Cadiz and Cordoba, 1,500 in Huelva, 1,400 in Jaen, 1,000 in Almeria, and 600 in Motril. This marks the ninth rally by Marea Blanca since November 2022, following Juan Manuel Moreno's (PP) absolute majority.
Sebastián Martín Recio, retired family doctor and Marea Blanca spokesman in Seville, urged unity: “Users, general population, citizens, healthcare professionals, the white tide, parties and unions, all together, let's make common cause so that on May 17 we really achieve the political change that can guarantee the recovery and strengthening of our public healthcare”. Opposition leaders María Jesús Montero (PSOE), Antonio Maíllo (Por Andalucía), and José Ignacio García (Adelante Andalucía) joined and criticized Moreno's government “privatization plan”.
Demonstrators highlighted issues like excessive waiting lists, lack of pediatricians and specialties, and closures such as Granada's Velutti health center. Women from Amama, impacted by breast cancer screening delays (2,317 cases per the Junta, 2,500 per affected), carried a banner with victims' names. Cristina Fernández stated: “We have all lost something irrecoverable, trust in public healthcare”.
Moreno's government downplays the protests, noting a 65% increase in health spending since 2018 and blaming prior PSOE cuts. Yet surveys like the Andalusian CIS rank healthcare as the top concern ahead of unemployment. Protester María Dolores Sánchez hoped: “I hope this is a reality check at the ballot box”.
