Corruption has a long tradition in Spain. But lately, the country has experienced an explosion of scandals.
Hundreds of mayors and other officials across the country are being investigated for bribery and influence peddling, and police have seized assets worth billions of dollars. The government and the opposition agree that things have to change.
Boadilla del Monte, a small hill town about a half-hour west of Madrid, has achieved notoriety in Spain because of its former mayor, Arturo Gonzalez Panero. He was forced to resign earlier this year after being implicated in an influence-peddling network that extended to Madrid, Valencia and the Costa del Sol. A court in Madrid has frozen millions of dollars of his assets.
