Puente labels Ayuso a “mamarracha” (a sight or clown) after she criticises him for “heating up the atmosphere” during wildfire crisis.
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Transport Minister Óscar Puente and Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso engaged in a heated verbal exchange on Friday over wildfire-fighting resources, with Puente referring to the Madrid leader as a “mamarracha” on social media, after she had previously called him “mamarracho.”
The political row erupted after Puente posted on X that the Military Emergency Unit had effectively become the “new firefighting service” for regions governed by the Popular Party. The minister accused PP-led regional governments of cutting taxes on the wealthy, privatising public services, and then relying on the central government to resolve the resulting crises.
Puente alimenta una escalada de críticas e improperios contra Ayuso por pedir la Emergencia al Gobierno: "La mamarracha eres tú".https://t.co/Tngk6Qyzcv
— Steve Urkel (@RaraqueR) July 25, 2026
Puente’s remarks came after the Madrid regional government requested that the national executive declare operational situation 3 of national interest, citing the severity of wildfires simultaneously affecting three communities: Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha and Castilla y León.
When questioned about Puente’s comments during a visit to the advanced command centre in the town of Cenicientos, Ayuso dismissed the minister’s stance, labelling anyone who “heats up the atmosphere” during a catastrophe a “mamarracha” The Madrid president also confirmed that the region is facing its worst wildfire on record and called for all efforts to be focused on saving lives rather than engaging in political disputes. She acknowledged that coordination with the central government has been “good and absolutely necessary,” given that the fires across three regions pose a serious risk to life.
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Puente swiftly responded on the same platform, writing: “You know a great deal about heating up the atmosphere. That is what you live for.” He added: “Now you are asking for help from the very government you spend your time insulting and discrediting. If there is a mamarracha in Spain, it’s you.”
