Patricia Puerta has pointed out that Carrasco, who for years used the closure of businesses as a political argument against the previous municipal government, has not offered an effective response to the continued disappearance of shops in the center of Castellón.
The socialist spokesperson recalled that the current mayor denounced the situation of local commerce and held the previous government responsible for the loss of economic activity. She also noted that, during the election campaign, Carrasco claimed to have a “plan to end commercial asphyxiation” and identified projects like Castelló Central or the Low Emission Zone as key factors in the sector's decline.
According to Puerta, after three years of PP and Vox government, the municipal discourse has shifted, now attributing commercial problems to external factors such as digital competition, large retail chains, or changes in consumer habits, thus revealing structural causes affecting commerce in all cities.
The socialist leader considered the municipal government's reaction to the closure of establishments like Zara in central Castellón particularly relevant, criticizing the attribution of these business decisions to the "inherited situation".
Puerta maintained that local commerce requires support, modernization, and promotion measures, and criticized that the municipal government has based part of its strategy on isolated actions and communication campaigns without deeply addressing the sector's structural challenges.
Finally, the PSPV spokesperson concluded that Carrasco has moved from promising to rescue Castellón's commerce to justifying its failure, a situation reflected in the mayor's public trajectory.
