In early October 2026, the municipal council of Codo (province of Zaragoza) provisionally suspended the proceedings for four planned large pig-farm projects. The trigger was a possible conflict of interest: three of the proposed sites are on land owned by relatives of the serving mayor and Spanish MP, Raúl Cuevas (Partido Popular). Earlier, on 4 September 2026 the full council had discussed declaring the projects to be “in the public interest”. Following public criticism, Cuevas withdrew from the process and abstained from further consideration.
The projects, registered under the names Explotaciones Ganaderas Estiche and Cincaporc, comprise, according to the applications on file, two piglet-breeding units and two fattening farms, each with several thousand animal places. The four applications were submitted to Codo town hall between 19 and 25 November 2025. Three of the planned plots are attributed to family members of the mayor, while another is municipal land. These ownership details were already raised at the council meeting on 4 September.
A Socialist councillor appealed against the decision. The decisions were then provisionally suspended and referred back to the administration for reconsideration. Parts of the dossier are also to be forwarded to the environmental authority INAGA Political groups and opposition parties in Aragon are calling for full disclosure of the technical reports, environmental conditions and financial terms of any lease or use agreements with the municipality.
The dispute involves two issues: residents and experts warn of environmental risks, including high water consumption and groundwater pollution from slurry in a water-scarce area of Zaragoza. At the same time, there is a question of political integrity, as the proximity between the mayor's official duties and the private interests of people around him raises doubts about the independence of the decision. The case has attracted regional political attention: several parties in Aragón criticised the process and called for clarification; the Partido Popular defended the mayor.
What is confirmed is the provisional suspension in early October 2026 and the attribution of three affected plots to relatives of Raúl Cuevas. It remains unclear whether, and in what form, the projects will be approved, amended or finally rejected after a fresh review. Further administrative decisions and, if necessary, court rulings will determine this. Until then, proceedings are on hold; the municipal administration is under pressure to provide a legally robust decision with transparent reasoning.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).