A widely publicized sex scandal has made it a steamy August in the Spanish city of Merida.
Gloria Constantino is a member of the People's Party (PP) group that runs the local council. Until last week, thanks to friends and relatives who control the local media, the group had enjoyed consistently uncritical media coverage despite a bitter feud with the opposition.
Then the photographs appeared. First on internet chatrooms and then across town. In the bars and cafes, they were the only topic of conversation.
The pictures showed Gloria Constantino and Maria del Mar de las Heras, a presenter on the local TV station, having sex with an unidentified man.
"The photos were every-where," said Angel Calle, leader of the local Socialists. "
Kids hanging out on the street had them on their mobile phones. Women carried copies in their handbags to show anyone who asked."
The mayor, Pedro Acebo, immediately claimed that the photographs were fakes. But he has yet to produce any to support that claim, and the pictures appear to be genuine.
Acebo went on to accuse Calle of orchestrating the scandal for political gain. Acebo defeated Calle to retain his office by just 100 votes in the last election.
"Just a few weeks ago another PP councillor was accused of white slavery and now a member of the same team has seen her right to privacy violated by this vile montage," said Acebo. Calle.
He denied any involvement and police have warned the mayor he could be prosecuted for making false accusations.
Though none of the pictures shows the man's face, everyone thought they knew who it was: Angel Acebo, the mayor's brother.
"It wasn't just a rumor," said Angel Acebo. "Everyone knew it was supposed to be me. But it isn't."
He denied he had ever had a sexual relationship with either of the women, both of whom are family friends, claiming that pictures stolen from his computer had been used to create the images.
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