Rocío Monasterio, a dual Cuban-Spanish national, has announced her departure from the political scene in Spain following her dismissal as the head of Vox in the Madrid region. The decision was made by Vox leader Santiago Abascal and was formalized on Wednesday. Just a day later, Monasterio confirmed that she is stepping down from her political role in Spain.
For five years, the Cuban-born Spanish architect led Vox in Madrid. On Thursday, she officially resigned from her parliamentary position, marking her exit from both the party and Spanish politics. In her statements to the press, Monasterio indicated that her dismissal was orchestrated by Vox's Secretary General, Ignacio Garriga, in alignment with Abascal's directives.
Reflecting on her political journey, the former deputy described it as "an act of service." She expressed her eagerness to return to her career in architecture, with ambitions to construct more housing in Spain than the current government. Meanwhile, Vox appointed journalist José Antonio Fúster as the new leader for the Madrid area, which Abascal described as a routine part of the party's internal restructuring.
Monasterio has been outspoken against the Cuban regime, repeatedly condemning it as a dictatorship. In 2023, she and Hermann Tertsch, a member of the European Parliament, were honored as "Ambassadors of the Cuban Exile in Spain" during a ceremony held in Miami.