Patronage trial at Port of Valencia points to Mar Chao

Published on May 23, 2026 | Translated from Spanish

The social court number 8 is holding the first trial for alleged cronyism at the Port Authority of Valencia. UGT denounces that three selection processes were designed to favor specific candidates, who ultimately obtained the positions. The judge must decide on one of them, with President Mar Chao singled out by the former Head of Personnel and a report from the State Comptroller General detailing irregularities.

Three job interview tables arranged in a row, one table tilted showing hidden preselected candidate files beneath, a judge's gavel mid-strike over a port authority badge, glowing red flags attached to a hiring process flowchart on a computer screen, maritime shipping cranes visible through an office window, cinematic photorealistic style, dramatic shadows crossing documents, tense legal atmosphere, ultra-detailed wood grain and paper textures

Tailored bases and the role of technology in selection 🧑‍⚖️

The key to the case lies in the wording of the call's bases, which according to the accusation included such specific requirements that only a few could meet them. Technology, far from being an objective filter, would have served to automate an already biased process. The IGE report indicates that the need for such specific profiles was not justified, reinforcing the theory of a tailor-made design to avoid real competition.

Cronyism 2.0: now with digital signature and quality seal 🎭

It seems that at the Port Authority they have updated the classic cronyism method. Leaving a resume in a marked folder is no longer enough; now bases are drafted with requirements so specific that only the desired candidate meets them, like a custom-made suit. If at least they had used artificial intelligence to simulate fairness, but no, they preferred the transparency of a process that only a blind person would not see as rigged.