Ángel Fernández, Salares’ first democratically elected and longest-serving mayor, dies

The three days of official mourning started at 12am on Monday 14 September and will last until 11.59pm on Wednesday 16 September. During this period, flags on all municipal buildings will fly at half-mast “as a sign of the grief” according to the resolution signed on Sunday by the current mayor, Pablo Jesús Crespillo.

Fernández García began his tenure as mayor in 1979, with the establishment of the first democratic local councils and served as mayor without interruption for five terms, until 1999. The municipal decree specifically mentions his terms of office from 1979–1983, 1983–1987, 1987–1991, 1991–1995 and 1995–1999, before he subsequently returned to local politics. Between 1999 and 2003, there were two mayors in Salares: Antonio Ruiz (PSOE), from 3 July 1999 until 31 August 2001. Jorge Luis Fernández (PP) then took over as mayor; he had been a councillor since 17 November 2001 and continued in office for the following term, 2003–2007.

The municipal resolution also refers to his term of office from 2011 to 2015, although the historical records consulted also list Fernández García as mayor of Salares between 2007 and 2011. His tenure as mayor spanned seven terms of office and approximately 28 years.

The news has prompted numerous expressions of condolence in Salares, which is home to around 200 registered residents, as well as within the political sphere in Malaga . The PSOE in Malaga has expressed its “deepest” regret at his passing and emphasised that his “commitment, dedication and hard work have left an indelible mark on the town”. The socialist group has also conveyed its “affection and condolences” to his family, friends and the entire village of Salares.

Condolences have been expressed across the political divide. The former mayor of Vélez-Málaga, Francisco Delgado (PP), recalled his personal relationship with Fernández García, both during his time as provincial director of Labour and Social Security and during the years when they both held municipal office. “I held him in high regard. I have fond memories of him,” he said.

Delgado also expressed his condolences to the deceased’s wife, Inmaculada, his family, friends and the residents of Salares. “A village to which he devoted so many years of his life,” Delgado said.

Salares bids farewell to the man who ushered in the town’s democratic era in 1979 and was closely linked to the town’s public life for decades, while messages of remembrance and tribute continue to pour in on social media.

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