Protesters demand Santa Fe mayor apologize to veterans groups

The Hispano Round Table of New Mexico on Thursday demanded a public apology from Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber for accusing three local organizations, including two veterans groups, of political misconduct.

Ralph Arellanes, chairman of the Albuquerque-based organization, said the group held an afternoon news conference at Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park in Albuquerque to “hold Webber accountable” for what Arellanes called a “frivolous” complaint.

“Politics is politics,” Arrellanes said. “People are going to make allegations, but when we are talking about veterans, that is a different subject. The honor of veterans shouldn’t be thrown into the mix.”

In September, the city of Santa Fe’s Ethics and Campaign Review Board dismissed a complaint filed by Webber’s campaign accusing the Hispanic fraternal organization Union Protectíva de Santa Fé, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2951 and the American Legion Post 1 of acting as political committees for one of his rivals in the mayor’s race, City Councilor JoAnne Vigil Coppler.

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