A TOP Spanish politician was shot in the face in Madrid in an apparent assassination attempt.
Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca, the former head of Spain‘s People’s Party in the Catalonia region, was ambushed by a gunman on a motorbike in a wealthy neighbourhood in the Spanish capital.
Former MEP Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca was shot in the face
Alejo served as First Vice President of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2007
TwitterAlejo was rushed to hospital after he was shot in the neighbourhood of Salamanca[/caption]
Alejo, who has also served as an MEP and First Vice President of the European Parliament, is said to be stable and conscious.
Cops and paramedics were called to the neighbourhood of Salamanca in the centre of Madrid shortly before 2pm.
Detectives are hunting for two suspects who were said to be waiting for Alejo and fled on a black Yamaha motorbike, according to reports.
It’s understood the politician was shot at point-blank range from just two metres away.
Aleja suffered a single gunshot wound to the jaw, sources told El Pais.
Witnesses reportedly described the attacker as a “young, small man” wearing jeans and a dark coat.
They said the gunman jumped off the motorbike and shot Aleja “at least once” without removing his black helmet.
Cops have cordoned off the area of the shooting and no arrests have been made yet, police said.
Aleja, 78, was a long-time member of Spain’s conservative People’s Party in Catalonia, and a European Parliament member before he broke away to found the far-right Vox party.
The politician was the front-runner for Vox in the 2014 European election, but the party failed to win a seat.
He’s a former member of the Barcelona City Council, the Parliament of Catalonia and Senator in the Spanish Senate.
The Policia Nacional are heading up the investigation but the motive of the shooting remains unknown.
The shooting came as Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez agreed a controversial deal to remain in power by offering amnesty to Catalan separatists – raising tensions and protests across the country.
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