The controversy between the mayor of Huesca, Lorena Orduna (PP), and the recreational club Alegría Laurentina has intensified in recent days. The origin lies in the government team’s ban on activities in the Jai Alai hall, an emblematic venue for concerts and cultural events hosted by this group. The conflict revolves around the legality of the operating permit for the complex, which according to the club dates back to the early 1940s. Orduna ordered the cessation of all activities due to the lack of updating, which has caused tensions between both parties. In addition, he reported an alleged sexist aggression during the last patron saint festivities in the capital of Huesca.
The disagreement began when the Huesca City Council banned the performance of a concert scheduled at Jai Alai in October 2023, claiming that the license was obsolete and did not comply with current regulations. The fire that the same month destroyed two nightclubs in Murcia and caused 13 deaths served as a warning and the municipality has since displayed an inflexible position. It responds that the license used by the club, dated 1942, is for work and not for activity and therefore does not adapt to the necessary requirements.
La Alegría Laurentina, for its part, defends the validity of its historic license and claims to have tried to negotiate a solution with the city council. But the situation has given rise to a legal battle after exhausting the channels of dialogue, with the presentation of a contentious-administrative appeal of which the supporters’ club is very aware and “moderately optimistic”, explain the members of this group.
During the San Lorenzo festivities last August, tensions reached a critical point when club members angrily protested as the municipal corporation passed by, with insults and whistles directed at Orduna, leading the city council to consider taking legal action against some partners for “verbal attacks of a sexist nature”. This war not only strained relations between the club and the municipality, but also generated a broader debate in Huesca about the management of licenses and the protection of historic spaces.
The city council considers this episode “particularly serious”, not only because of the offensive language, but also because some of the swear words contained sexist connotations specifically aimed at the figure of Orduna as a woman in a leadership position. This fact has sparked widespread condemnation, not only from the municipality, but also from various sectors of Huesca society, who have seen in these insults a demonstration of machismo that should not be tolerated in any context, much less in a public event such as festivals. .employers.
La Alegría Laurentina is preparing a statement to show its position on the matter and clarifies that these insults do not represent “the feelings of the club.” The mayor reiterated that her decision is based on the law, stressing that permits from the 1940s cannot be adapted to current regulations. Despite this, club members and other sectors have criticized the municipality’s position, accusing it of lack of flexibility and of not taking into account the cultural and social importance of the club and its headquarters for the city. At least they have been able to organize minor events such as members’ lunches at this headquarters.
The Alegría Laurentina club has been “clear” in its position regarding Mayor Lorena Orduna’s ban on activities in the Jai Alai hall. According to the club, the venue has a public entertainment license granted in 1944, so it considers its use to be “legitimate.” The club’s board of directors has expressed “frustration” at what it considers to be the city council’s lack of willingness to dialogue and resolve the issue amicably.
From their point of view, Jai Alai is not just a leisure space, but a place of great historical and cultural importance for the city. The group made it clear that its intention was to “continue fighting legally for their rights to be recognized” and stressed that it would not stop its efforts to keep alive the activities it has been developing for decades.
One of the key points mentioned by Alegría Laurentina is that the municipality has not considered the intermediate solutions it has proposed to adapt to the current regulations. For them, this ban does not only affect the club, but all of Huesca’s society that participates in the cultural and musical activities it organizes.
The club has denounced what it considers to be “unfair treatment”, alleging that other establishments in similar circumstances have not been subjected to the same restrictions. It assures that it will “continue to work” so that the Jai Alai can resume its operation and comply with all the regulations in force, seeking a solution that satisfies both the supporters’ club and the municipal authorities.
