Inside Spain: Is corruption inevitable in the land of the picaresque?

Picaresca, tied to the 1500s picaro rogue tradition, is linked to satirical prose fiction such as El Lazarillo de Tormes (1554). That story follows an impoverished Salamanca boy who, after being accused of stealing, is taken in by a blind beggar who teaches him to survive in an unjust world. Modern Spain faces frequent scandals involving both the ruling Socialists and the conservative PP, with allegations centered on influence-peddling, abuse of office, and embezzlement. Rumors claim the opposition may use “lawfare” to damage the Socialists’ reputation, including claims involving former Prime Minister Zapatero, Prime Minister Sanchez’s brother David, and Sanchez’s wife Begona Gomez.

"Picaresca comes from the word picaro (rogue or rascal), a term which actually came to refer to a genre of Spanish prose fiction developed in the 1500s, la novela picaresca or picaresque novel."

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