Ignacio Garriga Vaz de Concicao (born 4 February 1987) is a Spanish politician as well as a former dentist and professor. He is known in the Spanish media for being the first politician of African descent in the right-wing populist party Vox.
Garriga is one of five children and grew up speaking Catalan as his first language. He considers himself 100% Spanish. Before becoming a politician Garriga worked as a dentist. He is married and has one daughter and three sons. He has also worked as a professor at the Faculty of Dentistry of the International University of Catalonia.
Garriga was elected to the 13th Congress of Deputies in the 2019 Spanish general election.
Personal life
Garriga was born in Sant Cugat del Vallès to a Catalan father named Rafael of Belgian descent and a Equatoguinean mother named Clotilde. His mother is also of Portuguese descent through her father. Clotilde's parents, Mercedes and Pablo, owned a supermarket in Malabo, but after the death of Pablo, Mercedes sent Clotilde and her seven brothers to live in Barcelona.Garriga is one of five children and grew up speaking Catalan as his first language. He considers himself 100% Spanish. Before becoming a politician Garriga worked as a dentist. He is married and has one daughter and three sons. He has also worked as a professor at the Faculty of Dentistry of the International University of Catalonia.
Political career
Garriga was previously a member of the People's Party, but left in 2010 after disagreements on the party's stance on gay marriage, abortion, Spanish unity, and immigration.
Garriga joined Vox in 2014. Due to being the only black politician in the party he is sometimes described as the "Negro de Vox" or the "Black Man of Vox" although Garriga rejects this label. Despite his political party's strong anti-immigration stance, Garriga has made comments in support of immigrants in Spain as he himself is of immigrant descent, although he supports mandatory deportation of illegal immigrants. Garriga has claimed that Vox is Christian humanist, and the one political party in Spain that is the most accepting, despite the party's nationalistic rhetoric.
Garriga joined Vox in 2014. Due to being the only black politician in the party he is sometimes described as the "Negro de Vox" or the "Black Man of Vox" although Garriga rejects this label. Despite his political party's strong anti-immigration stance, Garriga has made comments in support of immigrants in Spain as he himself is of immigrant descent, although he supports mandatory deportation of illegal immigrants. Garriga has claimed that Vox is Christian humanist, and the one political party in Spain that is the most accepting, despite the party's nationalistic rhetoric.
Garriga was elected to the 13th Congress of Deputies in the 2019 Spanish general election.
He is the leader for Vox in Barcelona.
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