Former Aragon economy councillor Marta Gastón dies at 53 after long illness

Death and first tributes

Marta Gastón, a former councillor for the economy in the Government of Aragon under Javier Lambán, died on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, at the age of 53. EL MUNDO reports that she died of cancer, while eldiario.es describes a long illness. Messages of condolence came from across the Aragonese political spectrum, from the PSOE and other opposition parties to the PP and Vox.

Pilar Alegría, secretary general of the PSOE in Aragon, wrote on social media in words that were quoted by several outlets.

“A tireless, tenacious and open-minded woman who devoted years of work and effort to boosting the economy, creating opportunities and improving the lives of Aragonese people.”

The regional PSOE described her as a committed socialist who worked tirelessly for the development of the region, employment and the welfare of Aragonese people. Jorge Azcón, the PP regional president, sent his condolences to her family and called her a public servant recognised for her capacity for work. EL MUNDO also reports that Vox expressed its condolences.

A career in Huesca, Congress and the regional government

Born in Huesca on 2 February 1973, Gastón studied economics at the University of Zaragoza and worked as a business manager at Ibercaja before entering politics. She was a senator for Huesca from 2004 to 2008 and then a deputy in Congress from 2008 to 2011, where she served as the Socialist spokesperson on the Economy and Finance Committee. She also sat on Huesca city council from 2007 to 2011, where she oversaw the finance area.

In July 2015 she joined the regional government after Lambán became regional president, as councillor for Economy, Industry and Employment. In August 2019 she returned in his second government, a coalition of PSOE, Podemos, CHA and PAR, as councillor for Economy, Planning and Employment, a post she held until August 2023. EL MUNDO credits her with courting large investments such as Bon Área and the AWS data centres, while eldiario.es highlights her work on renewable energy, logistics and attracting investment. After leaving government she ran as number two on the PSOE list in the 2023 regional elections and sat in opposition, until her illness forced her to give up her seat as a regional deputy early.

Council farewell and colleagues' tributes

At the Zaragoza plenary session on Tuesday, held after 14:00, Socialist councillor Marta Aparicio opened her speech with a tribute, but emotion stopped her from finishing. Aparicio had served alongside Gastón in Lambán's second government. Mayor Natalia Chueca then took the floor, said the council was shocked by the death and passed on its condolences.

Mayte Pérez, a former regional councillor for the Presidency and former Socialist spokesperson in the Cortes, shared eight years of Lambán's government with Gastón. She wrote on Facebook that Gastón had praised her intelligence, foresight and loyalty, and listed former colleagues who had died recently.

“She dreamed of a different Aragon and helped build it.”

Daniel Pérez Calvo, the former Ciudadanos leader in Aragon who was parliamentary spokesman during the Lambán coalition, said the illness had brought them closer than politics had ever divided them. ABC reports that Gastón had shared the illness with Lambán, whom she admired and whose death ABC links to the same disease.