Podcast Summary: Hoy por Hoy

Episode: Claves del día | Gonzalo Velasco: "El riesgo: la ley corrompida por la democracia liberal"
Date: November 27, 2025
Host: Àngels Barceló
Guest Contributor: Gonzalo Velasco
Podcast: SER Podcast

Overview:

In this compelling editorial segment, Gonzalo Velasco explores the paradoxes of the rule of law ("el imperio de la ley") within modern liberal democracies. He unpacks how judicial mechanisms designed to protect citizens and uphold justice can, under certain circumstances, morph into tools of political pressure and sources of societal anxiety. Against the backdrop of recent high-profile legal cases in Spain and persistent political uncertainty, Velasco questions whether the most significant risk today is not authoritarian resurgence, but rather the gradual corruption of law within supposedly open societies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Double-Edged Sword of the Rule of Law

• Invocation as Protection vs. Instrument of Threat
  • The concept of "imperio de la ley" is commonly cited as a defense against authoritarianism and as assurance that institutions genuinely safeguard citizens.
  • However, when legal practice becomes an instrument for pressure​—not protection—​it threatens instead of pacifies society.
  • Quote:

    "El imperio de la ley... cuando ciertas malas prácticas convierten el derecho en un instrumento de presión y no de protección, el imperio de la ley funciona al revés, no pacífica, sino que amenaza."
    <span style="color:grey">— Gonzalo Velasco, [00:10]</span>

The Paradox of Cleanliness: Manipulation of Legal Processes

• Case Commentary: Accusación Popular in Begoña Gómez Case
  • Velasco discusses recent news: the judge expelled the group "Manos Limpias" from the Begoña Gómez case, and the lawyer for the pseudounion withdrew.
  • The stated reason: according to the lawyer, the accusation has overstepped its intended legal boundaries.
  • He frames this as the "paradoja de la limpieza": entities invoking institutional purity actually muddy due process, blurring lines between accusation and guilt.
  • Quote:

    "Una organización que abusa de la figura de la acusación popular en nombre de la pulcritud institucional tiene en realidad la vocación de contaminar el proceso..."
    <span style="color:grey">— Gonzalo Velasco, [00:37]</span>

Erosion of Guarantees: Law Amplifying Suspicion

• The law, when misapplied, ceases to guarantee innocence and instead spreads mistrust and suspicion.
• Quote:

  "El imperio de la ley empieza a operar como una amenaza. No garantiza la inocencia, sino que amplifica la sospecha."
  <span style="color:grey">— Gonzalo Velasco, [00:48]</span>

Power of Perception During Judicial Uncertainty

• Velasco notes the ongoing lack of verdict in the case concerning the State Prosecutor General.
• In this "stalled time," rumors and subjective interpretations weigh more than formal judgments, creating a vacuum filled by public opinion and political maneuvering.
• Quote:

  "Cada rumor está pesando más que un documento y cada interpretación sustituye a la sentencia, de modo que la incertidumbre se convierte en un espacio de poder."
  <span style="color:grey">— Gonzalo Velasco, [01:09]</span>

The Most Significant Risk: Liberal Democracies Corrupting the Law

• On the 50th anniversary of Franco’s death, Velasco asserts that the main danger is not the rise of new autocracies, but the risk that liberal democracies degrade their own legal frameworks to the point where the law becomes a threat, not a shield.
• Quote:

  "El riesgo no está tanto en la emergencia de nuevos regímenes autocráticos como en el de que democracias liberales corrompan la ley hasta que ésta se convierta en una amenaza."
  <span style="color:grey">— Gonzalo Velasco, [01:53]</span>

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the weaponization of law:

  "El imperio de la ley deja de ser una garantía así cuando se aplica sin asegurar derechos, cuando se da trámite a acusaciones motivadas políticamente o cuando se dilatan decisiones hasta que es la opinión pública quien anticipa la culpabilidad."
  <span style="color:grey">— Gonzalo Velasco, [01:33]</span>

• On societal consequences:

  "La incertidumbre se convierte en un espacio de poder."
  <span style="color:grey">— Gonzalo Velasco, [01:20]</span>

Timestamps for Critical Segments

• 00:08–00:35: Discusses the dual nature of the rule of law as protection and as threat
• 00:36–00:48: Explains the paradox of using institutional "purity" as a means to contaminate legal processes
• 00:49–01:09: Reflects on how misapplied law amplifies suspicion over innocence
• 01:10–01:33: Analyzes the consequences of judicial inaction and the role of public perception
• 01:34–01:53: Diagnoses the current risk to democracy as internal corruption of law, not external threats

Tone & Language

Velasco’s commentary is precise, thought-provoking, and critical—delivering a measured warning about subtle shifts within liberal democracies. He uses clear, compelling language rooted in current events, inviting listeners to rethink what true guarantees of justice and rights mean today.

Conclusion

This episode’s insightfully concise editorial urges listeners to critically evaluate not only the content of laws and judicial processes, but also how their application can threaten the very freedoms they are meant to defend. Velasco’s perspective is particularly resonant in a period marked by high-profile legal controversies and growing political tension in Spain, serving as a timely reminder of the fragility of democratic institutions when the law becomes a weapon rather than a shield.