caciquear

To act like a cacique (a local political boss) — to abuse informal power over a town, region, or institution, favoring allies and punishing rivals outside any formal accountability. Common in political and journalistic writing about caciquismo across Spain and Latin America.

• El alcalde llevaba años caciqueando en el pueblo sin oposición real. — The mayor had spent years running the town like a political boss, unopposed.
• Denunciaron que el sindicato caciqueaba las contrataciones. — They reported that the union was rigging hiring through cronyism.
• Ese diputado caciquea la región desde hace tres décadas. — That congressman has been running the region like his personal fiefdom for three decades.

Caciquear specifically implies informal, personalistic abuse of power (favoritism, cronyism, intimidation) — it's stronger and more specific than gobernar (to govern) or mandar (to be in charge), which carry no such negative connotation.

Often confused with gobernar.