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| Spain Barbera: Valencia ex-mayor dies amid corruption case | Spain Barbera: Valencia ex-mayor dies amid corruption case |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A leading Spanish senator and ex-mayor of Valencia, Rita Barbera, has died of a heart attack at 68, doctors say. | A leading Spanish senator and ex-mayor of Valencia, Rita Barbera, has died of a heart attack at 68, doctors say. |
| On Monday, she testified before the Supreme Court over claims of money-laundering by the ruling Popular Party (PP) during her 24 years as mayor. | On Monday, she testified before the Supreme Court over claims of money-laundering by the ruling Popular Party (PP) during her 24 years as mayor. |
| Paramedics tried to resuscitate her for half an hour after receiving an emergency call from a Madrid hotel at about 07:00 local time (06:00 GMT). | Paramedics tried to resuscitate her for half an hour after receiving an emergency call from a Madrid hotel at about 07:00 local time (06:00 GMT). |
| The Supreme Court began investigating Ms Barbera in September. | The Supreme Court began investigating Ms Barbera in September. |
| Many of her team have been accused of corruption, but Ms Barbera denied any involvement in a suspected illegal financing network. | Many of her team have been accused of corruption, but Ms Barbera denied any involvement in a suspected illegal financing network. |
| A lower court judge initially requested an investigation in April, but Ms Barbera's status as a senator, granting her immunity from the lower courts, meant she could only be investigated by the Supreme Court. | A lower court judge initially requested an investigation in April, but Ms Barbera's status as a senator, granting her immunity from the lower courts, meant she could only be investigated by the Supreme Court. |
| The investigation relates to Operation Taula, which saw 24 people arrested in January and is focused on the activities of local officials in Valencia, Alicante and Castellon. | The investigation relates to Operation Taula, which saw 24 people arrested in January and is focused on the activities of local officials in Valencia, Alicante and Castellon. |
| All those held have links to the PP, the dominant political force in the region until elections brought a move to the left in May 2015, and the PP lost its absolute majority in Valencia. | |
| Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy paid tribute to Ms Barbera, who he said "gave everything for Valencia and the Popular Party". | |
| Ms Barbera enjoyed a long period as mayor of Valencia - winning an absolute majority in five consecutive elections between 1995 and 2011. | |
| Under her tenure, she vowed to create a city that rivalled Barcelona. The stunning City of Arts and Sciences cultural and architectural complex and the Norman Foster-designed Congress Centre were both built during the 1990s. | |
| But in 2015 she was voted out, and took up a seat in the Senate. | |
| In January 2016, Spanish authorities made a string of arrests under Operation Taula, amid evidence that a string of PP officials in Valencia had participated in laundering money that funded past election campaigns. | |
| Although Ms Barbera did admit making one donation of €1,000 (£860; $1,060), she denied receiving anything in return. | |
| But while political leaders expressed their condolences, reaction to the former mayor's death was mixed. The left-wing Podemos party filed out of parliament when a minute's silence was held in the chamber. | |
| "We regret the death of Barbera but cannot participate in a political tribute to someone whose career is marked by corruption," tweeted Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias. |