Olive Press Newspaper - Issue 338 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

G IN T RA B E L CE

The

OLIVE PRESS

Mijas Costa FREE

Andalucía

Your

TWO SPANISH HEROINES: One who escaped Franco to another whose infamous name has been adopted by a train station

expat

voice in Spain

Vol. 13 Issue 338 www.theolivepress.es March 4th - March 17th, 2020

Travel trouble By Dimitris Kouimtsidis

NERVOUS hoteliers and restaurateurs are bracing themselves for the devastating effect coronavirus could have on Spain’s tourism industry. They are joined by tourist chiefs who fear a major hit to critical Semana Santa week, which heralds the start of the holiday season. It comes as Spain has seen its number of cases soar to over 150, with the number in Madrid doubling almost overnight. Data from travel analytics firm ForwardKeys shows international flights booked from the UK and the US were down almost 20% for a five-week period up until February 23. British Airways, Easyjet, Ryanair and Lufthansa have all started cancelling flights within Europe and those to China. Some have drastically cut prices in order to fill empty seats, with Ryanair reducing flights to Italy by 25%. Stocks are plummeting too, with IAG,

Hotel and restaurant owners watch with fear as the coronavirus tightens its grip on Spain and Europe ahead of Semana Santa

the company that owns British Airways, Vueling and Iberia suffering a drop in value of more than 9%, the highest of any company in the Ibex 35. The International Air Transport Association estimates that the virus outbreak will cost the sector more than €26 billion in 2020. Travel and tourism analyst, Ralph Hollister, from GlobalData said: “If the virus is still having the same impact by the end of April, cancellations could start to increase at a rapid rate as consumers deem the risk to their health to be greater than their need for a holiday.”

With Semana Santa starting on April 5, businesses in Spain are worried about whether one of Spain’s busiest weeks will go ahead as normal. More than a million visitors traditionally descend on Sevilla and Malaga combined during Holy Week. A total of 14% of Spain’s Gross Domestic Product comes from tourism, according to the European Travel Commission. It’s Executive Director Eduardo Santander said: “The impact of the virus on European tourism will be massive — we’re talking about big losses.” But despite the surge in cases here, the UK authorities has yet to issue travel warnings to the country, as Spain has done with Italy. The UK Foreign Office simply insists that travellers should comply with any additional screening measures put in place by the Spanish authorities. Meanwhile, football may be the most see page 4

Opinion Page 4

PLUS: The opinions of ten leading ladies to celebrate International Women’s Day See special supplied inside 23 A special four-page pullout

March 2020

www.theolivepress.es

WE CAN DO ANYTHING!

N equal world is 1911, so now in a new cenan enabled world. tury and a new decade are Over a century after This is the theme of we making International Women’s Day a difference? International Women's Day 2020. On March At first glance, it’s easy to first started, Karen Livermore 8 the spotlight turns to wo- say yes. There’s something asks, are things really any men throughout the world in the air that feels like real who are striving for gender change. The #metoo and better in 2020? #timesup movements were parity in the workplace, media giants, companies, in unpalatable men from their their businesses, in sports, a palpable moment where politicians and stars. women were not only being Bein culture and arts, and ing male, rich and powerful positions, but the views in heard, but their voices they represent, from public were was suddenly no their communities. longer a acceptance. powerful. They were calling The movement started in out previously untouchable shield. Out of it has come a Things that matter to and real effort to shift, not only affect women, are finally

getting heard, and action women is still alarming. Last is being taken. But there is still so far to go. We may be year was a dark 12 months celebrating the downfall of in Spain with 55 women kiHarvey Weinstein, and the lled either by partners or ex shaming of Placido Domin- partners. The highest figure go over his admission of se- since 2015. It's not the only xually harassed women, but country where these figuin Saudi Arabia women are res are rising. However, in still high fiving their right to a disturbing move the Vox own a passport without the party is lobbying for cuts in funding to combat genconsent of a male guardian. Gender violence against Continues overleaf

We needed to change the work culture Women on the frontline in Spain

Let’s raise a glass to celebrate national Women’s Day 2020 Interor, as we say in Spain, Día Internacional de la Mujer. Ten women in all walks of life share theirSpain from views and inspirational stories

Ana Botín, President of the Santander banking group

that we needed to change the work culture and in doing so society if we wanted to see advances in the field of equality.

“Since then these ideas have been reflected in the equal opportunity policies that we first pushed for in Banesto, then in Santander

in the UK and more recently in the Santander continued. “In that speechgroup as a whole,” she ot only was Ana Botín I emphasised the bedame by Queen Elizabeth made an honorary nefits of diversity in the company. II for services to the And with data Financial sector in 2015, she was also awarded from different studies, I explained that having the first Award for Responsible more women in managerial positions, apart from taking the helm the year before. Capitalism after being fair, was good for business. Besides talent, Ana, 59, is also a pioneer. The first woman to run women bring skills to business that complement a major European bank, she’s those of men – better interpersonal communicaon the Forbes’ list of World’s been ranked eigth tion, cooperation, horizontal men. Within her corporation, Most Powerful Wo- city to really listen as well thinking and a capaas more empathy and has made a point of boosting this financial whizz the ability to prioritise.” female direction, ai- Botín ming for 30% of its CEOs has also introduced a life-work balance (they currently account forto be women by 2025 scheme because, ‘one of the aim is technical equality, 20%). Beyond 2025, tunities lies in domestic the keys to equal opporwork.’ 40% ratio, irrespective of which means a 60%- She said: “For men to increase gender. In an article she published responsibility, we need public their share of this policies that allow in response to a debate overon her LinkedIn page for greater flexibility in the workplace.” tials, she wrote, “I have spenther feminist creden- Ana is adamant there will be years no as discrepancy an execuin tive; years in which I have seen enough to know salaries between male and female staff members that in general women don’t taking on equal responsibility in a banking instituspeech delivered to a room get a fair deal… In a tion that is ranked 16th in the world. in 2008, I talked about the full of men in Bilbao Forbes magazine also notes importance of women that Botín has a poacting with more confidence licy of ‘backing small companies in ourselves and owned and companies by women’.

Tel: 952 147 834

952 147 834

See pages 5

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Watered out TWO businessmen who illegally extracted water from Donana National Park have been jailed for two years and banned for a subsequent year of exercising any profession related to the agricultural sector.

Medical blunder A DOCTOR has been caught red-handed stealing 13 boxes of clinical face masks, amid fears over the spread of coronavirus, at Malaga’s Hospital Clinico.

Drunk idiot A DRUNK driver in Sevilla has been arrested after causing two accidents an hour apart, with one of the 53-year-old tourist’s victims a 92-yearold woman who was crossing the road.

Pervert A SICKO has been arrested in Ronda for exhibitionism, with the 49 year-old accused of masturbating in front of children and following three girls aged between 13 and 14.

Mandarin wades in THE British Ambassador to Spain Hugh Elliott has become involved in the inquest into the death of violent British robber Sean Hercules, by writing to Estepona Court after it did not receive a police report.

Vox politician resigns over gender violence A VOX politician has resigned after being investigated for a domestic assault on his partner. Far right senator Juan Ros is accused of attacking his partner, who was hospitalised in the incident. The Ceuta leader, 63, denies the accusations and maintains that his wife merely fell down the stairs. Police found the victim at the home they shared in Alhaurin, near Malaga. She showed signs of violence and traces of blood. While she refused to file a complaint, Malaga’s Domestic Violence Court no.1 is now probing the case, with Ros ordered to stay more than 500m away from her. The former doctor insisted he could prove he was not in Alhaurin at the time, and got home after taking a train from Madrid to find her lying on the floor having taken a blow to the head. He has no prior records for gender violence. The case is now in the hands of Malaga’s Violence Against Women Court Number 1. Ros was only elected senator for Ceuta last November with 34.55% of the votes. He has a degree in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Granada.

CRIME

March 4th - March 17th 2020

Speak up! EXCLUSIVE By Laurence Dollimore

THE family of missing Scottish expat Lisa Brown has vowed to continue their search for justice after her ex-boyfriend Simon Corner was jailed for 12 years in the UK. Once the prime suspect in the case, Corner, real name Dean Woods, was one of six sent down for operating a drug trafficking ring in England last week. “We are not surprised he was involved, it was only a matter of time,” Lisa’s sister Helen Jordan, 52, told the Olive Press this week. “Hopefully him being jailed will work in our favour, our work isn’t done yet in trying to find Lisa and get justice on her behalf.” Woods, 37, who worked as a luxury yacht dealer in La Linea, vanished after mother-ofone Lisa, 32, went missing on the Costa del Sol in November 2015. He was treated as a fugitive while a manhunt was launched to bring him back to face questioning. He was arrested at London Heathrow in April 2018 but a few weeks later the case in Spain controversially fell apart. The case reopened six months later and investigators said they would analyse Woods’ phone - which he had dumped in Copenhagen harbour - before deciding whether or not to prosecute, but no

Missing Lisa Brown’s family pleads for new clues offering €120,000 reward after exboyfriend and main suspect jailed in the UK

A LOCAL policeman has been accused of the violent murder of an 83-year-old for her €1.5 million inheritance The woman died after allegedly falling down the stairs of her home in Madrid while she was in the sole care of the policeman. The officer was tasked with the 24-hour care of the lady and despite not being a direct relative, was due to inherit her €1.5 million fortune once she passed away.

Mafia mayor charges ever materialised. It since emerged Woods had become involved in a €10 million drug trafficking operation in Liverpool by acting as a courier on at least six occasions. The body of Lisa has never been found but police fear she may have been dumped at sea. There have been several searches of the woods and river near her home in Guadiaro, near the border with Sotogrande. She had been dating Woods, described as a ‘wheeler deal-

Most Wanted nicked

THE alleged ringleader of a British cocaine trafficking gang has been arrested at a Marbella strip club. Dominic McInally, 29, from Merseyside, had been on the run from UK drugs charges for six years. He was detained by cops in a raid on the Casa Masa Club, the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has revealed. Merseyside police had been looking for him since January 2014, when officers intercepted his car and found six kilos of cocaine inside. Five members of the group allegedly led by McInally were later sentenced to a total of 48 years’ imprisonment. McInally, who was one of the fugitives featured on the UK’s

Policeman arrested for murder

er’ who had various yachts and did frequent trips across the Med to Morocco. Helen insisted last night that the €120,000 reward for information is still active. “We believe and know that there are quite a few people who know what happened to Lisa but up until now haven’t come forward. Maybe now things will change.” Do you have information that could shed light on Lisa’s disappearance? Contact us anonymously at

By Dilip Kuner

‘Operation Captura’ most wanted list, has been taken to Madrid for extradition proceedings. Andy Cooke-Welling, Head of the NCA’s International Crime Bureau, said: “It is yet another success under Operation Captura, which has resulted in dozens of fugitives being brought to account, many of them after years on the run. “It should be clear to those attempting to flee from UK justice that they can never rest easy.” This is not the first time The Casa Masa Club – which is on Marbella’s Golden Mile – has been in the news. In 2017 five people were arrested after a brawl ended with four people being shot, with one needing emergency surgery.

A FORMER Manilva mayor has been arrested for her alleged role in helping launder money for Italian mafia. Antonia Munoz was cuffed alongside 12 others following a lengthy police investigation. Officers carried out around 20 raids, seizing cash and mountains of documents which will now be analysed by experts. Police began their probe after receiving a tip off from the Italian authorities that one of their citizens was running a money laundering operation along the Costa del Sol. The crime syndicate was believed to be investing huge sums of money into real estate, with a focus on Manilva but also in Estepona and Marbella. The laundering occurred during Munoz’s time as mayor of Manilva. The Izquierda Unida politician was the first female councillor in Manilva in 1987 before becoming the first female mayor in 1999. She left the role between 2003 before being re-elected in 2007. However she came into trouble in 2013 after being accused of hiring pals and allies of the IU in direct violation of labour laws.

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

Rise and fall

March 4th - March 17th

Rapprochement? REPUBLICAN vice president Pablo Iglesias has been snapped for the first time alongside Spain’s favorite thrifty royal, Queen Letizia. Iglesias’ Podemos party is known to be anti-monarchy but that didn’t stop the pair sharing a flight to attend the Princess of Girona Foundation Awards. The queen, who reigns alongside Felipe VI, donned a chic green pant suit for the occasion.

Tokio in Tokyo CORONAVIRUS has taken over Instagram as well news sources. Celebrities across the world such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Kim Kardashian and Kate Hudson have shared pictures on the social media site wearing face masks. Spanish celebrities have also jumped on the wave, with La Casa de Papel star, Ursula Corbero (above), being one of them. The 30-year-old, who plays the much-loved Tokio in the hit series, posted two pictures of herself in the Japanese capital wearing a face mask.

SOL SEARCHERS: Winners Martina Puigvert, Fina Puigdevall for Les Coles and Javier Olleros of Culler de Pau (left). Loser Dani Garcia (above right) A QUINTET of Costa del Sol restaurants have lost their shine in the latest food guide awards. El Lago, Kabuki Raw and Don Giovanni all lost a prestigious ‘Sol’ in the new Repsol guide, while Refectorium and Mar-

Malaga restaurants lose big, while Andalucia rises in the new culinary sol awards bella Club Grill have been all but wiped off the food map. Fortunately, a number of rising stars have taken their places in

New meaning to Survivor

SPANISH reality television show, Supervivientes, has had to be suspended and contestants evacuated due to adverse weather conditions. The show which is based on the US version, Survivor, is filmed on the islands of Cayos Cochinos, off the coast of Honduras. However, a storm is ravaging the islands, with waves ‘as high as five metres’ and the production team have made the decision to evacuate the contestants for their own safety. The team tasked with the evacuation procedure managed to take everyone to safety on boats. A contestant, Vicky Larraz said: “At one point I thought we were going to capsize.”

Last song SPAIN has cancelled opera star Placido Domingo’s concerts over sexual misconduct allegations. The disgraced 79-year-old singer has had his next performance cancelled by Spain’s

Ministry of Culture, as he battles allegations by fellow performers and assistants. The Government made its position clear by banning the singer from the performance of operetta Luisa Fernanda at the Zarzuela Theatre in Madrid on May 14 and 15, pledging its support for the women who have been affected by the allegations.

the annual ceremony, which took place in San Sebastian. They include Bardal, in Ronda, which won a second Sol, as well as La Costa, in Almeria, Baga, in Jaen and Lu Cocina, in Jerez. A record ten new restaurants (see below) each won a star in the 2020 edition of Spain’s most important eating guide, now in its 41st year. They included Ispal, in Sevilla, Celia Jimenez, in Cordoba, and Godoy, in Malaga. Andalucia ranked fourth in the country for the most restaurants with Sols, while two of them - Aponiente in Puerto de Santa Maria, and Noor in Cordoba - have a maximum of three Sols. At a national level, 102 restaurants were awarded Sols, with only two new ones hitting the top spot this year – Les Cols in Catalunya and Culler de Pau in Galicia. Some 23 were awarded two sols and 77 were given one. The awards are decided by 50 inspectors, who between them tried the food at more than 1,300 restaurants in Spain.

TWO SUN WINNERS

●Bagá ● (Jaén) ●Bardal ● (Ronda) ●La ● Costa (El Ejido) ●Lú ● Cocina y Alma (Jerez de la Frontera)

ONE SUN WINNERS

●Almocadén ● (Alcaudete) ●Arriaga ● (Granada) ●Cañabota ● (Sevilla) ●Celia ● Jiménez (Córdoba) ●Dama ● Juana (Jaén) ●Faralá ● (Granada) ●Godoy ● (Málaga) ●Ispal ● (Sevilla) ●Mantúa ● (Jerez de la Frontera) ●Taberna ● de Miguel (Bailén)

Bond ambition BEFORE making her name in Tinseltown, ambitious Cuban-Spanish actress Ana de Armas packed her bags and moved to Madrid to pursue her acting career where she landed appearances in the tv series El Internado (The Boarding School). Ana now joins the high-profile cast for the latest Bond saga No Time to Die, although she admitted that before taking on the role in the 007 franchise she found the female characters ‘unrelatable’. However, the 31-year-old was reassured by the script, co-written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, describing her character as a ‘real woman’. It’s not the first time Ana has worked with Daniel Craig, recently starring in Knives Out alongside the Hollywood heartthrob.

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

‘Cure within weeks’ By Laurence Dollimore

A SPANISH pharmaceutical giant has said it could have an effective treatment for coronavirus in Europe and the US within weeks. PharmaMar president Jose Maria Fernandez told press that the treatment is based on the marine compound Aplidine, which is used to treat cancer and is already approved in Australia. Fernandez said his company has ‘high expectations’ that From frontpage

Red card profitable sport in the world, but even it can’t escape, with Italy’s Serie A cancelling five matches over the weekend over fears of large crowds. There’s talk that Valencia may not allow Atalanta to bring any of their fans to the Champions League return leg next week. One of the Valencian fans who travelled to Milan for the first leg of the round of 16 tie two weeks ago was confirmed last week to have contracted the disease. There’s also talk that the English Premier League may play games behind closed doors, or that Euro 2020 or the Tokyo Olympics may be at risk of delays or cancellation.

their tests will reveal Aplidine as an effective treatment against coronavirus ‘within a month’. However any vaccine could face approval delays of between 12 and 18 months, meaning the company is opting for creating a drug. PharmaMar has said it will request a fast track for the product’s approval and commercialisation. It comes after Aplidine was rejected when presented to the European Medicines Agency back in 2018.

Immunised

Fernandez said he will therefore also submit the treatment for approval by the FDA in the US, which he claimed operates much ‘less of an inquisition.’ “We believe we have a compound which works against coronaviruses,” he said, “We have to do the research and we are already testing samples in specialised laboratories. “We were looking at vaccines but they will take 12-18 months to be ready, which by that point they may not be necessary as we may already be immunised naturally.” PharmaMar recently signed a €900 million deal with an American company for lung cancer drug it developed. A total of 3,159 people have now died from coronavirus worldwide, while over 88,000 have been infected.

SINGLE IMPLANT

March 4th - March 17th 2020

Rothschild reckoning EXCLUSIVE By Laurence Dollimore

A BELEAGUERED bank may be forced to pay back €9 MILLION to British expats over its infamous ‘dodgy’ equity release scheme, a leading lawyer has claimed. Rothschild bank may be forced to cough up the enormous sum after ‘wrongly taking’ the money from hundreds of victims around Spain. It comes after a Malaga legal firm scored a landmark victory against N.M Rothschild & Sons Limited at a court case in Torremolinos. As reported on our front page last issue, Brits Barry and Marion Joyce have been awarded €15,000 by the court and had a mortgage on their villa in Benalmadena cancelled. The couple, now in their 70s, are able to keep their home, which was set to be repossessed, after the judge’s surprise ruling. Now their lawyer Pablo Espejo, from Iura International, is hoping to get a similar

British expats to win back MILLIONS from Rothschild equity release scheme which plundered their life savings result for a further 20 British clients he is representing around Spain. All of them had been badly advised to take out mortgages on their Spanish homes and invest them into supposedly low-risk stocks in the early 2000s. “Rothschild sold a very complex product with a high risk to elderly and retired people who had zero knowledge of financial business,” Espejo revealed. The product allowed them to take out mortgages worth up to 75% of the value of their homes with the proceeds then invested with an insurance company to provide an income.

IMPLANT BRIDGE

OLIVE PRESS

The

Mijas Costa

Ditching the Brits

FREE A

ll about

February 2020

MALAGA is bracing for Brexit by looking to the US and Middle East to reduce its reliance on the traditionally important The province’s British market. have decided thetourism bosses diversify in terms area needs to just from the UK, of visitors not but also the local market. “If the national market catches cold we don’t want a nia,” said tourism to get pneumoSalado, “we want boss Francisco to have an antidote.”

ANDALUCÍA

Vol. 13 Issue 337

www.theolivepress.es

A 16-page Olive Press special supplement

Education

Your

expat

voice in Spain

February 19th - March

3rd, 2020

HEAD TO HEAD II It’s Westminster vs Wellington

DIFFERENT STROKES

E’VE all been there on the first day of term with butterflies in our stomachs – and that’s just the parents.

For children and adults alike, starting a new school can be one of the most memorable and/or nerve wracking days of our lives. You can tell from the number of anxious mums and dads pacing outside the school gates long after their little one has walked through them. Although some parents leave them to get on with it independently, which older kids far prefer. But one thing all parents have in common is wanting the best for their children. Preparations for the big day get going long before the final tweak of the noose (aka the school tie) and the cry from the kitchen ‘Don’t forget your packed lunch!’ Before new shoes are purchased and buffed to a shine, parents

With so many good schools in southern Spain, picking the right one is a multiple choice question. Charlie Smith prepares a cheat sheet of answers to help you decide

will have thought long and hard about which school will suit their child. Fortunately in Andalucia, you really are spoilt for choice when it comes to a quality education, along with some of Spain’s premier sporting facilities and the perfect climate to enjoy them. Unfortunately, it makes picking the perfect launchpad for your

child’s education as confusing as algebra - but we’ve worked on it with a cheat sheet checklist to help simplify your choice.

It’s all about balance

“Exam results and activities after school are certainly a driving force but some parents don’t want a barrage of academia,” says James Kearney, head teacher at Sotogrande International School (SIS). “They want a balanced school, and I don’t think schools should be exam factories. Parents want to see children develop into the best versions of Continues overleaf

See the battle of British dukes and their Spanish property empires, pages 12 to 15

Private or state school? All this and more in our free Education Supplement.

Pages 15 to 41

HEAD TO HEAD

VICTORY!

Boosting

The new drive get more flightsmeans the need to to new markets America, Asia and in It is hoped flightsthe Middle East. will be set up between New York, Washington and Miami, making of the Delta Airlinesup for the loss York cancelled last route to New The plans come year. marketing plan in an 800-page which has detailedfor 2020-2023, 213 objectives to increase competitivenes These include improving s. By Laurence Dollimore ity of jobs and boosting the qualthe €16.8 billion market by 3.4% each year. A BRITISH expat They also want to focus marketing a landmark legal couple have won spend more on the bank after being battle against a Nordic market. duped into mortgaging their dream GLOBAL home to plunder their cash APPEAL A into supposedly B ‘low-risk’ investments. Pensioners Barry Joyce were about and Marion to lose their home in Benalmadena, A PEA which had Rothschild to cost them their return ‘every BEYO RL life savings, after paid’ so becoming far by the Joyces, penny trapped in the sophistiPRICEND both in their 70s. cated financial product. G They have Devised by the Rothschild bank, keep more also been allowed to the product targeted than €15,000 given expats who them by the had properties bank as a signing to in Spain with on mortgages. no bonus. It allowed them gages worth up to take out mortDemanding to 75% of the value of their homes with the proceeds It is the first then invested with sentence to directly DUPED: The Joyces joyous after landmark company to provide an insurance condemn N.M Rothschild & win Sons and its Credit an income. But things went Select Series Four vertised as ‘safe products’. awry arm, when the inIn the case of which marketed to many other cases vestments did not the Olive Press perform as well Investment Transfer the Spanish out a loan ofthe Joyces, they took has reported as promised, leaving €227,000 and Income bank on the expats Mobilisation Plan (Sitimp). which was invested with the years. In 2017, over the last five unable to pay off we reported into sup- bank More than 100 posedly ‘low Now a judge fromtheir mortgages. owner, French aristocrat how other cases are ucts abroad. risk’ financial prod- on David demned the bank, Malaga has con- set to come before courts around de Rothschild had Barruling in favour Spain over the next This product was been forced to answer of the Joyces. Everything you need questions over the In each case, once few years. surance through actually a life in- investments to know in our The Torremolinos free travel guide pages, a company called in an Alicante court. court annulled to mortgage their expats agreed Aspecta Assurance 23 to 34 the entire mortgage homes, International The multi-millionaire banking and ordered assessed their property the bank Luxembourg SA, sciwhich was also on denied any knowledge and immediately gave them of the complex case that 5 to 10% of its condemned in the case. saw up to 1000, In the first year alone the couple’s mostly British pensioners, value in €227,000 lose millions. investment cash. sunk by a Rothschild shocking €55,443. insisted T h e y know’ about the that he ‘did not t h e n product. “I was not personally involved u s e d Stress in the contracts”, he wrote their eq- By 2016, 10 years after signing Marbella lawyer,in French. uity Antonio Flores, to onto the deal, i n v e s t not grown and the investment had of Lawbird, who is helping dozin what was demandingthe Rothschild bank ens of British pensioners mount were ad- gage repayments€302,000 in mort- class action against the Rothschilda enterprise, told from the couple. the The bank threat- find it shocking that Olive Press: “I ened that if they a boss in a bank the man who’s doesn’t know didn’t pay their about what was going on with one home would be of his companies or anything about taken from them. the product that was being sold”, The stress of the he said. case was similar Opinion Page 6

Expat couple will keep Costa home in landmark win against Rothschild bank

ll about

enahavis

February

2020

Unlike its well-heeled

residents don’t needyou deep pockets to enjoy the wealth of natural wonders in Benahavis, writes Oakley Joanne

LEAMING like hills above a white classicis the crown Marbella, pearl in the Benahavis jewel sons. white villages no wonder, of Most Grant, with the for so Andalucia’s Rod Stewart many likes of cipalityfamously, do contributing reavisitors in the it’s the and wealthiest The village richest region to the Cristiano Hugh average per billionaires is second town and the muniRonalincomecapita in neighbouringwho second home hall coffers. have bought pushing all Spain to a host swankiest La €29,000. with private Zagaleta, property of Putin And is reportedlyurbanisation. in Andalucia’s one Vladimir although the Continues overleaf

Beautiful Benahavi

Tel: 952 147 834

952 147 834 * O f f e r

v a l i d

f o r

See pages 15

But things went awry when the investments did not perform as well as promised, leaving the expats unable to pay off their mortgages. “None of the goals advertised, nor the mechanics of the operation were true,” Espejo added. “Barry and Marion were not professional investors and had no knowledge of financial investments.” Yet in 2006, Rothschild TheOlivePress-256x170-H

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marketed the product, claiming ‘our clients are not exposed to unexpected risks and therefore offer solutions that reduce as many risks as possible’. Espejo insists most victims were duped by the prestigious Rothschild name, having ‘no idea’ the product was being ‘mis sold’ and ‘putting their properties at serious risk.’ “Today, all these investments are a fiasco,” he said. Another British victim, Steve Bicknell, told the Olive Press he was glad that justice was ‘finally being done’.

IMPLANT DENTURE

March 4th - March 17th 2020

NEWS

Sands of time By Laurence Dollimore

SCIENTISTS have claimed that up to half of the world's sandy beaches could vanish by 2100 if nothing is done to curb climate change. Dozens of tourism meccas - including the Costa del Sol - are under threat from erosion and surging sea levels. The European Commission's Joint Research Centre issued

Spain’s €178 billion tourism industry under threat from beach erosion and rising sea levels the report after analysing 30 years of satellite images of beaches from Australia to Brazil and Spain to Italy. "The results indicate around 50% of the world's beaches are at risk of severe erosion,” said Dr Michalis Vousdoukas, who led the research.

Hope for traffic hell MARBELLA is pleading for urgent action to tackle the daily traffic nightmare between Puerto Banus and San Pedro. The town hall is asking Madrid for funds to carry out work on the A-7 motorway between the two towns. A third lane is seen as a good solution to the traffic jams, which become almost crippling during the summer months. A document, seen by the Olive Press, laments that the underground San Pedro tunnel has not solved the daily congestion, which sees at least 90,000 vehicles each day. It adds that if nothing is done soon, the situation will only worsen, increasing the risk of accidents.

"Half of the world's beaches could disappear by the end of the century under current trends of climate change and sea level rise. "The situation can become more critical for small communities highly reliant on tourism." Spain's beaches are fundamental to its highly vital tourism industry, which saw visitors spend over €92 billion last year. A mass erosion of its beaches could have serious consequences for an industry which contributes around €180 billion to the economy each year. The Olive Press reported last issue how Storm Gloria destroyed many beaches on the east coast of Spain, last month (left). The worst-hit area was in Castellon, which lost up to 64m of sands, while Oliva, in Valencia, lost up to 50m of sands. Using computer modelling systems, the EC study was able to forecast how the beaches, already having lost ground, would erode further as climate change worsens. In a worse case scenario, areas like The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau could lose more than 60% while Australia was forecast to be hit the hardest, losing up to 12,000km of beach. The study was published in the Nature Climate Change journal.

5 Wage woes

ANDALUCIA is among the worst paying regions in Spain, new figures have revealed. Workers have an average salary of €1,495, which is 0.8% lower than in 2009. According to a report by the Adecco Group, while wages rose 0.9% in the last quarter of 2019, it still placed 14th out 18 regions in Spain. Workers in Andalucia, Murcia, La Rioja and Castilla have less purchasing power than last year. Meanwhile, the number of long-term unemployed in Andalucia remains higher than the national average at 32.5%, although that is the lowest it has been since 2012. Madrid and the Basque Country pay their workers the most with a joint average salary of €1,990 per month. The lowest paid workers live in Extremadura, where the average monthly salary sits at €1,375. Murcia (€1,450), the Canary Islands (€1,477), and Castilla-La Mancha (€1,492).

Crucible of learning

AN agreement has been reached to set up a university in Estepona. It will be the second private university in Andalucia and as well as degrees, there will also be a research programme. Until a campus is built, the Centro Cultural Padre Manuel will be used free of charge, following a deal with the Santo Cristo de la Vera Cruz charity.

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OPINION

The World’s End CORONAVIRUS is the word on everyone’s lips at the moment, no matter where you are. The outbreak started in December but it was not until last week when it hit Italy, that everyone started freaking out. Yes, it’s a lot closer to home and the number of patients are increasing constantly, but people don’t need to stress as much as they are doing. It’s definitely more serious than a simple virus because it’s something new that the World Health Organization (WHO) needs to get its head around, but so far it has only killed 2% of those who have caught it. Those most prone to dying are older and therefore more vulnerable. Could it have been contained better at the start? Of course, but that’s not the average Asian person’s fault and it doesn’t give people the excuse to be racist just because you may think every Asian has the virus or because they should have self-quarantined. Is the world going to survive this? Of course it is, and the mask manufacturing-companies will have made billions in the meantime.

The fight goes on IT’S 2020 and yes women’s rights have come a long way and one could be forgiven for thinking the fight for women’s rights should finally be over. But alas, this is not the case, the fight goes on...let’s look at the facts: In Spain, there have been 1,047 victims of sexist violence since records began in 2003. In 2020, at least 14 women have been killed in gender violence attacks so far. Every four hours there is a report of gender violence in Spain. However, the forthcoming celebration and promotion of International Women’s Day is not only to highlight gender violence but many other aspects such as equal pay and access to jobs and even just the simplicity of being able to leave fear at the front door and enter the outside world carefree, equal and accepted. So we have taken the opportunity to join in the celebrations and to highlight that we are backing the fight for women’s rights and look forward to more positive headlines such as: ‘Spain has no further gender violence attacks in 2020’, ‘Women succeed in fight for equal pay and status’ or ‘International Women’s Day no longer necessary’.

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features

MAGINE the scenario: You are walking on one of Andalucía’s beautiful public trails, it’s a walk you have enjoyed many times, but today is different. A brand new gate blocks your way. You are used to passing through gates in the sierra, which hikers know to close behind them to prevent livestock escaping, but this gate is chained with a padlock. On a high fence extending as far as you can see, a sign now says: Propiedad Privado. Entrada Prohibida (Private property. No entry). You have two options: turn back or break into private property and risk being threatened by an angry landowner, even one brandishing a shotgun. It has happened (see later). The closure of these public trails has upset hikers and local communities alike. Landowners are taking it upon themselves to shut off what are, in essence, public rights of way. The question is - are public trails that pass through private estates really private? Can landowners simply block communal pathways used by locals and their animals for centuries? The answer is no. Yet this is what is happening in Andalucía and, sadly, throughout Spain. but which was controversially According to José María Guerre- blocked near Ronda in 2006 by ro, President of the Asociación developers. por los Caminos Públicos de la The blockage (in part) led to Serranía de Ronthe setup of da, caminos púthe Olive Press blicos are publicly newspaper, owned trails for One landowner which in its communal use. very first issue They have been blocked the path splashed with established as with barbed wire the disapfree passageways pearance of a due to their longand showed up newly-installed term standing and footpath sign with a rifle historic by the Los Meimportance. rinos estate, In Spanish law, where develpublic trails cannot be pro- opers planned 2,000 houses scribed, seized or transferred. and a double golf course. They are untouchable. A few months later in 2007, we reported how 40 protesters faced fines of up to €30,000 for Closing down history organising a ramblers-style proThe historic town of Ronda, had test when they broke through more than 200 public trails in- a wall and walked through the cluded in its 2004 registry, a re- estate. cord all town halls are obliged Their action led to what was to keep, although few do in described by a judge, as ‘mafia-style tactics’ against anypractice. It’s also the responsibility of one attempting to fight to keep the local authorities to main- open public tracks or protest tain these trails. The municipal corrupt, illegal developments. code states they should be protected and the public must be The tracks to protect informed about their rights at The caminos publicos were all times. An independent study in 2016, once Spain’s only road network however, discovered that 48 along which everything was of Ronda’s public trails were transported on foot or by mule. illegally blocked, deliberately And they go back forever... obstructed or so poorly main- Indeed, during the Peninsular tained they were impassable or War in 1813, Napoleon’s forces mapped out these vias to dangerous. A similar investigation conduct- plan their attack on Ronda. ed by the Olive Press with green Several have become ‘green corridors’ while others have group Silvema Ecologistas en Accion a decade ago found taken on dual use as roads at least three dozen paths which must coexist with vehicles. blocked by big gates. So it seems to be a growing Usually these trails are given lowest priority, with road fenctrend. ing impeding and endangering pedestrians. Public fight back When roads and trails meet, who is the losing party? Other public trails are the pro- “There were no laws to protect vincial GR routes (like the Gran the public trails in the past, Senda de Malaga), and the ter- because people knew they ritorial Vías Pecuarias. belonged to everybody,” says From the grand 75-metre-wide Guerrero. Cañadas Reales to the rustic In the nearby Genal Valley, four-metre wide Veredas, these where trails still connect rural tracks, originally for herding villages, locals see them as livestock, are of great historical communal property. In bigger importance. towns, however, people do not The GR routes are usually na- have this personal link anytionwide and sometimes cut more. across Europe, for example in Only the Basque Country has the case of the GR-7, which ‘servidumbre’ - the right of uniruns from Tarifa to Athens

March 4th - March 17th 2020

Tra

Nature lovers are waging war against barbed wire fences and locked gates to keep Andalucia’s public trails open. Karethe Linaee reports from the frontline

versal passage anywhere. In rural Andalucia, it is increasingly the opposite case. Property owners insist that, as they own the land, they also own the public trails crossing it. But, says Guerrero, “When a public road crosses your property, you cannot block it and the same goes for public trails.”

Wild bulls and bees not an idle threat Walkers, runners, bikers and horse riders are increasingly affected by trail closures, a problem that only began a couple of decades ago, and fines are not enough to deter landowners. On a public trail leaving Ronda, one foreign landowner blocked the path with barbed wire and showed up with a rifle when locals came to protest. Only when the authorities intervened did he allow extremely narrow, fenced-in access.

Farmers have resorted to devious tactics, ploughing over public trails so they can no longer be seen. Pathways near rivers are at times so narrow that walkers have to hang onto illegally placed fences to be able to pass. Traditionally trails had to be wide enough for a loaded mule to pass, though these days walkers are lucky to have half a metre of clearing. And if locks and dangerous detours won’t deter you, other landowners scare away walkers by adding signs such as Coto de Caza (hunting ground), Toros Bravos (wild bulls) or Abejas Salvajes (wild bees). Endangering anyone on a public trail on your land is illegal, but all walks should be treated with caution… as most of us do not want to risk being mistaken for a deer or charged by a bull. Speaking from personal experience, cows with horns can look as menacing as bulls and when confronted by them, you do not hang around to check for dangly bits to verify which sex you are dealing with.

Saving public trails

SCARY: Guantanamo-style screening on this Ronda walk

In 2003, a platform was created to defend the public trails. The Asociación por los Caminos Publicos de la Serrania de Ronda represents hiking and cycling clubs, as well as environmentalists and human rights groups. Their mandate is to promote conservation, protection and safe access to trails. “First comes the fence, next the gate, then the chain and

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railblazers

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AGGRESSIVE: Sign barring entry (left) and (above) the footpath scandal in Issue 1 of the Olive Press

BATTLE: Open and closed trails around Ronda and one path (below) shut near Encinas Borrachos

Photos by Karethe Linaee and Association por los Caminos Publicos

lock. It is much more difficult to reverse this process,” says spokesman Guerrero. For 17 years the association has organised volunteer cleanups, catalogued trails and proposed practical, cost-effective trail maintenance – all without costing the town one centimo. For areas depending on rural tourism, it is imperative to keep public trails open and functional. In fact, Ronda could risk lawsuits if accidents happen on the steep and perilous public trails beneath the town. Access to public trails also comes with certain public responsibilities. The onus is on users to follow rules - keeping dogs on leashes, etc.

Digital battle New technology is changing things. There are great sites such as Wikiloc (see feature online) and how engineer David García Hernández from Gaucin is developing a mobile app which allows walkers to immediately report public trails that have been illegally closed or pose threats to users. “Safe public trails are essential

to be able to walk in the mountains,” says Fernando Ruiz, President of Andalucía’s hiking association Pasos Largos. “Thousands upon thousands of people enjoy this natural pastime every week.” Municipalities like El Burgo and Jimena de la Frontera are col-

laborating with the community to keep their trails open and safe. It is a win/win situation. The public keeps its trails and the town saves money and gains support. The public trail association hopes to collaborate with all municipalities to protect and

safeguard the trails. “We must continue to denounce illegal blocking of public trails so future generations can enjoy our communal heritage. It is the best legacy we can give our children,” adds Ruiz.

Toffs vs citizens – El Duende

HERITAGE: Medieval bridge on El Duende property, used by locals since time immemorial

One of the most disputed properties in Ronda is El Duende. This 200-hectare Ronda estate is said to have been in the same Marques de Salvatierra family since the redistribution of lands to Spanish nobles after the Catholic re-conquest. We are talking centuries. The public pathways crossing the stunning estate are even older, having been used without controversy since the Middle Ages. According to historian Carlos Gonzalbes Gravioto, the bridge on the land is much older than Ronda’s famous Puente Nuevo and was the historical connection between two Roman trails, with ‘proven use’ from Medieval times. The trails stayed open until 2016 when the owners of El Duende blocked a number of them, claiming they were private. They even won in court and the trails were removed from the municipal inventory. However, trail defenders refused to accept this and fought to reopen them, presenting oral testimonies, historical maps and documents, as well as aerial photographs from 1945 onwards. This January, Ronda Town Hall voted unanimously to reinstall the disputed public trails in the town inventory. While further legal action may take place, the law is on the public’s side. Trails can always be reinstated, IF there is political will to do so.

THE Olive Press website continues its march across Spain. Our online portal www.theolivepress.es is entering uncharted territory as it soars up to 460th position in Alexa’s official ranking for the country’s top sites. The most trusted English website in Spain, we are also making huge in-roads in both the UK and Ireland, where we also sit comfortably inside the Top 500 sites for each country. We put this down to proper relevant content. Carefully researched and compiled, we stick to our remit of covering the key stories that matter around the peninsula and its islands. We are not interested i n Eamonn Holmes’ tax bill, a shooting in a Manila shopping mall and, particularly, the death of the Monkees singer some 12 months late! And nor are the 1.5 million visitors who came to our site in the short month of February. According to Google analytics, they were treated to 2.1 million ‘hits’ (or pages read) on everything from the sustainability of patio heaters in bars to tax increases for British homeowners in Spain, and from the march of the coronavirus to a man who lost his view to a giant pile of rubble. The site has become the only resource expats interested in Spain need to use, not to mention tourists arriving here in their millions each month. Visit www.theolivepress.es and see how much content we # have... and if you’ve got a business just how much exposure we can give you. #

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Here are the top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are: BREAKING: Family isolated for possible coro1- navirus on Spain’s Costa del Sol after returning from Italy trip (70,843 visitors) Four new coronavirus cases confir 2- BREAKING: med on Spain’s Costa del Sol (66,316) REVEALED: A Place in the Sun is filming across locations on Spain’s Costa del Sol and inland 3-these Malaga THIS WEEK (35,995) warning for Spain’s Malaga and Costa Sol as Storm Karine to bring strong winds and 4-delWeather rough seas (26,830) Hundreds of workers sent home on Spain’s del Sol due to possible coronavirus exposure 5-Costa (26,124)

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Welcome home A BIG-hearted Spanish family have donated a home to a trio of migrants. Francisco Salcedo and his three siblings have donated their old family home to immigrants Nabil, Hassan and Bilal, in Malaga. The three young men, aged 18 and 19, lived on the streets for eight months. The move was set up by migrant support association Malaga Acoge, which helped to raise

March 4th - March 17th 2020 €65,000 to renovate the home. The Salcedo family lived in the flat for decades, but their mother decided to rent it out in the 1970s. When their mother died in 1993, the siblings stopped collecting rent and allowed an elderly couple to live there rent free. When the couple passed away in 2017, they decided to give the property to Malaga Acoge. “Now the organisation owns a home to support many kids in the future, it’s a huge step,” said spokesman German Torrecillas.

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Determined It comes as the Olive Press reported on a previous lawsuit involving three separate claimants in a Denia court case against CWM, still under investigation after hearings in October 2019. “Make no mistake, the Denia criminal court is determined to clean up this stretch of the Costa Blanca, and Spain in general,” Angela Brooks, who spear-headed the private prosecution through her Pension Life membership scheme, told the Olive Press.

A WELL-KNOWN expat fashion signer has been accused of receivingdeup to €1million from an unlicensed Costa Blanca financial advisory company. Companies in Jody Smart’s name were given the money by defunct Continental Wealth Management (CWM) in the two years’ before its high-profile collapse left hundreds of investors an estimated €20million out of pocket, it can be revealed. A total of €999,435 was paid to her fashion label Jody Bell SL and property holding company Mercurio Conpro SL between 2015 and 2017, according to bank statements shown to the Olive Press. Brit Jody, 43, was also paid a €144,000 salary - despite telling a court that she ‘did not know what it meant to be a sole director of company’ and was only involved in ‘marketing and PR’. In a series of shocking declarations given to Denia’s Court of Instruction No.3 it has emerged that the company could ill afford to pay these

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Confusion reigns SPAIN’S prime accused Catalan minister has leader Carles Puigdemont of causing ‘confusion’ after signing of independence. a declaration Mariano Rajoy demanded he clarify if he had really independence followingdeclared day’s nail biting address Tuesto the Catalan parliament. If so, Rajoy insisted trigger Article 155 he could constitution to allow of Spain’s Madrid to take direct control of Catalunya. “There is an urgent need to put an end to the Catalunya is goingsituation that through - to Continues on Page

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CATALUNYA’S beleaguered leader has vowed to fight on from abroad. It came after Carles Puigdemont handed himself Belgian police when a in to pean arrest warrant Eurowas issued. He and four other politicians are accused on charges of rebellion, sedition, misuse of public funds, disobedience and breach of trust. A judge in Belgium now EXCLUSIVE up to two weeks to decidehas By Joe Duggan if they will extradite the group to Spain. BRITISH expats who lost up to €20 million in a failed Fight sion advisory firm believe pensignatures may have been their tocopied onto investment phoGiven the whole extradition documents. process can take up days, it means he mayto 60 Around 300 Brits, most living have in Spain, to run his entire election are battling to retrieve their funds after Alicante-based campaign for the Catalan firm Continental Wealth European Democratic ManParty agement from Belgium. (CWM) folded in September, His party wants him to fight Olive as first reported in the for continued leadership Press a month ago. the regional parliament of Boss Darren Kirby left for Austhe December 21 elections. in tralia following the closure of the Puigdemont denied he had fices.company’s main Javea offled to Brussels to avoid jus- Victims, tice but that he left because who are spread across Spain, the Spanish government was lorca, as well as in Ibiza, Malpreparing a ‘wave of oppresPortugal, France and Turkey, fear illegal practices sion and violence’ against after separatists. being asked to sign blank dealing instructions. “I’m absolutely convinced Their pension pots were that the state was preparing invested in high-risk then a harsh wave of repression which promised to pay outassets for which we would have large been held responsible,” all commissions. he One 69-year-old said yesterday. pensioner told the Olive Press “The Spanish state is he lost com- €210,000 mitting a brutal repression… after transferring €470,000 despite stating if we don’t battle repression he had a together, the Spanish state to risk’‘low to medium aversion BOSS: Kirby now in may win this fight.” attitude to investment. Australia “I was asked, ‘Can you sign In a show of support this blank deposed president, to the We will fill in the he said. around details.’form. “They should have been 200 Catalan pro-indepenUntitled-1.pdf I did that trusting they looking 1 16/06/2017 15:36 out for me would act in my best interests,” dence mayors travelled but they were to feathering their own nests.just Brussels on Tuesday to To stage a rally.

Expats who lost millions rage at ‘unauthorised’ deals involving ‘worrying’ signing of blank sheets

A PALMA thief is facing months in jail for stealing18 a CY leg of ham. Prosecutors are requesting CMY the lengthy term for the eight kilogram leg taking K co Jotas' ¡ jamon fromof 'Cina shop in the capital. The Iberico ham is valued at €685, and has yet to be recovered.

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me they knew what they were doing.” rying’. He added: “I believe some “This negates the very of the investments were essence of the service they are meant without my knowledge. made to offer,” said Flores. “It is that is the case because I think a blank cheque to invest wherever, recall signing sheets forI do not all the whenever. investments I had.” “If standard practice, has gone down by half An email, seen by the this is very worrying. need compensation to and I Press, shows CWM askingOlive get it “Signing blank documents a cliback on track. ent to sign and return a blank would be seen “But some people dealing instruction. as irregular in a have lost everyAnother British expat, court of law. The thing and don’t is trying to recover 55, who problem have enough to €200,000, said some around with pensionthese firms is that live on. One reers ‘have lost everything’. they were all intired victim only “My paper work that PENSION vesting has €50,000 left in highly has been altered, my riskI sent level OUTRAGE risky investments from €480,000.” was changed from ‘medium’ to without the cliAndalucia-based ‘high’ and my dealing instrucents knowing.” lawyer Antonio tions have been photocopied He claimed that Flores, repeatedly for buying and whose selllosses sustained firm ing assets I didn’t authorise,” Lawbird by are investors he said. representwould hopefully ing some CWM “I still have some money be recoverable victims, said signing blank and I am still young enoughleft as the investments that vestment sheets was ‘very inget compensation, but my to to perform, or went bust,failed worfund were linked to life insurance policies. Pension trustees Momentum and Trafalgar are now attempting to recoup CMW clients’ losses. SPECIALIZING IN: The Olive Press has so far unable to discover if CWMbeen CRIMINAL LAW was registered to provide investment advice with Spain’s CIVIL LAW official financial regulator CNMV. BANKING (FLOOR CLAUSE) Voted BEST

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SPAIN’S prime minister accused Catalan has leader Carles Puigdemont sion’ after of causing ‘confusigning a declaration of independence. Mariano Rajoy demanded clarify if he he had really independence declared following day’s nail biting address TuesCatalan parliament. to the If so, Rajoy trigger Articleinsisted he could 155 of Spain’s constitution take direct to allow Madrid to “There is control of Catalunya. put an end an urgent need to Catalunya to the situation that is going through - to

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Expats lose millions in

life savings CONFUSION reigns over should foot through who failed hotels hit the bill for Mallorca by the collapse investment line Monarch. of airBalearic scheme €10millionhotels are facing lapse that bill over the col-a EXCLUSIVE repatriationsaw the emergency By Joe Duggan back to the of over 110,000 UK, many Palma. from HUNDREDS Administrator of BritKPMG ish expats Olive Press ‘the debt told the to retrieve are battling Monarch to hoteliers owed by sions their penas an unsecured will rank after claim’ against £20 millionlosing up to the defunct in a failed “They will airline. pension have to file investment OFF the joint administrators a claim to scheme. TO OZ: the money for all Spanish-based and (above) Boss Kirby they are owed,” a spokesman. team at finansaid cial advisory “It has not firm Con- March charity bash tinental been determined (yet) how agement Wealth Man(CWM) folded Many available tomuch money will be last of them creditors.” month

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whose boss Darren Kir- It is by has believed at moved tonow allegedly 300 of CWM’s least Australia. clients One Costa-del-Sol- pension have had 900 based expat their pots decitold the mated, Olive Press he sunk shocked with victims £59,000 through cover the to later dis- to end up CWM, only value back realising had lost he investments hadof their ain on benefits.”in Brit£39,000 his pension plum- “I have nothing when meted dramatically. praise for trustees However, sent a statement. but Tony Barnett a source [Trafalgar close to “I couldn’t the case MD] and sisted: ‘There have lost believe it. in- Stewart are still mentum Davies [Mopounds,” thousands ofI many customers chef revealed victim, asking the are happy with who tive]. They haveexecumain anonymous. to re- pension portfolio.’ been their magnificent ing to recoup in tryAndalu “The adviser cia-ba people’s ing me, ‘This kept tell- tax specialist s e d money.” is guaran- Brooks, teed, it can’t Angie The Olive go below pert on a leading ex- derstands Press uncertain level’.” a eration pension it is highly possible His money, obliterat- transferred schemes lib- may had legal action ing many Untitled-1.pdf their pri- others acrossand that of the founder and be taken vate 1 Brits’ life heartbroken 16/06/2017 of Pension UK Spain and Life, has by some parties against pensions France, savings. through15:36 the company, high-risk was put into a fight tonow launched CWM, help get investor ‘professional tims’ money vicback. has been only’ assets, it She is working claimed. side pension alongtrustees Trafalgar International and Momentum sions. Pen- based out of headquarters in Alicante, “People are terribly executives. distressed,” and its based Brooks Granada- Both the told the and the office in Javea Olive Press. website lost large “They have recently shut. have amounts their retirement of When the Olive ings.” Press sav- spoke to boss ‘definitively’ Kirby he She added: these people “Some of responsibility denied are going crash. “I over the world,” have lost my A closehe said. associate Kirby’s told of the Olive Press former staff were Find out more all ‘veryCWM set’. upon page XX “It is still 20 quite raw for them, Ave de Gabriel working and they are Roca 4, Palma next,” he out what to do said.

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“The courts will make an example out of these scam96 649 1883 mers. “The consequences of this case will inevitably have far-reaching consequences for the industry globally especially since the practices which are the subject of these criminal proceedings have been widely practiced for a number of years - and have not been exclusive to Continental Wealth Management and their associates. “There are many victims beyond the clients of CWM who have suffered similar losses and the scope of these criminal proceedings will now inevitably widen considerably.”

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Issue 28

April 2019 DREAMY:

Period home

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24th 2019

Judge set to take further boss of suspect steps after to turn up at investment companyexpat court fails

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Law breaking for lavish lifestyle

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Emerging from the rock, this stunning home in Valencia is trademark Fran Silvestre, a Spanish architect who is continuing to make his mark in the architectural world. See Fran-tastic page VI

ROCK STEADY

HE average property price two consecutive years for thein Spain has grown for The national first Prices rise 3.9% to 8.4%,average house price time in a decade. rose from between Along the for two consecutive according to Mediterranean while mortgage various sources. most foreigners coasts and on the islands, values continueyears, However, he cording to Tinsa,buy, the average price where added ‘at the hike has been Spain’s leading to grow Spanish property But the figures very 4.06%, ac- Balearic Islands. property appraisal have mostly continued to least, the data suggests Mortgage during the grow company. “Prices have been rising that the long six year not yet made up January to lending to home buyers last year.’ but nothing for the big recession, with 19,390 new drops meanwhile like they did most years since the the exception Spanish Notaries. loans, according was up 6.1% recovery in the boom of the enough to claw back in years, and nowherebegan, The average to the Association respected analyst the ground new loan near of Mark Stucklin, lost in the bust,” explained an increase of 0.9% inmade in January had a of Spanish value of €135,616, a year. As long Property Insight. residential acquisitions the last few continues to as mortgage lending years, the Spanish increase, for property marketas it has done for is set to grow.

for)

FACE THE MUSIC

SPAIN’S PP party has set out cious plans for a power grab audaback to take control from Valencia and the other autonomou s regions. Leader Pablo Casado announced his commitment to strengthen the central government’s role in the run to the national up elections in a fortnight. He insisted that prevent corruptionsuch a move would and lead to a in taxes. drop It comes as the EXCLUSIVE off the threat party attempts to see By Joshua Parfitt Voted from an insurgent Party, whose leader REuse expat REduce paper has described Vox autonomous parliaments REcycle in Spain the Voted as the ‘can- THE beleaguered boss cer of Spain’. Govt in expat of a failed wealth management paper exile REuse Under the plan, in Spain company which REduce REcycle se resources forthe PP wants to increa- allegedly lost expats more than €20 delegations and regional government million has ignored a summons Confusion reigns to transfer of power paralyse any further court. Darren Kirby, to the regions. of Alicante-based Continental (CWM), failedWealth Management Supremacy court on March to turn up at Denia Who’s Casado insisted paying us? According to 26. the move would Spain being administered Olive Press sources see he ‘more effec- was due to turn up, alongside tively’. business partners, former The election hopeful stated The case involves who did turn up. party would carry that a trio of investors, out a sweeping his who lost substantial view of how re- money Should amounts of the regional authorities Three Lions when the company pub have operate looking legged it 2017. folded in at ‘efficiency and ty.’ Three Lions equi- Kirby pub allegedly fled Spain’s quasi-federal HOW WE TOLD political system llowing the collapse,to Australia foIT: Our 2017 of ‘autonomous finally returreports the constitution states’ was added to ning to Alicante last year. England.” “Darren has in 1978. Prime ter Pedro Sanchez, The Olive Press been sent Minisexclusively revealed former member the constitution, whose party drafted which he didn’t sign for, soa Burofax how CWM abruptly of staff. folded in 2017, “It was a prestigious plan, insisting strongly opposed the will now have to pursue himthe court losing hundreds place but one day they just in other vings of ‘tooth and nail’the PSOE would defend ways,” a source said. shut the door,” in the process. expats’ life sa- said, asking “A judge the principal of she nal self-government. not to be named. The firm, which regio- it’s under is dealing with this Victims had was based and legal “We understand review,” he added. Marriott Hotel, in Denia, out of the asked to signraised fears about being to ten’ telesales had ‘eight blank dealing he is currently instrucin ttered around staff and clients sca- tions and their pensions vested in high-risk being inNO SHOW: Europe, revealed Darren Kirby assets which paid a large commissions. res. “It is a blank One pensioner cheque to invest ta Blanca told based on the Cos- wherever, whenever. lost €210,000 the Olive Press he “It is very worrying as €470,000 despiteafter transferring investing clients’ money they were risky investments in highly stating he had low to medium as well a funds just “I was asked, risk attitude. because they as dubious paid the hiblank form. We ‘Can you sign this gher commissions.” He added that will fill in ls.’ I did that losses sustained trusting they the detai- investors should by in my best interests,” would act however, be verable as the recohe said. “They should have been looking led to perform,investments that faifor me and they or went out their own nests.were just feathering linked to life insurance bust, were what they were To me they knew When the Olive Presspolicies. finally hold of Kirby Lawyer Antoniodoing.” in October 2017, got denied all responsibility. Flores, whose he Lawbird is representing firm “I have lost of victims, said a number my world,” he said. See pages 26-29 ment sheets wassigning blank investAre you a victim “This negates ‘very worrying’. or former staff the very essence member? Do financial advisory you services,”said of the case? Contact know more about Tel. (+34) 96 649 Flo- newsdesk@theolivepress.es the Olive Press 18 29 at info@hispaniahomes.es www.hispaniahomes.co.uk

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whose boss Darren It is believed Kir- 300 at by has now allegedly of CWM’s least CONFUSION reigns moved to Australia. clients have had 900 should foot the bill over who their One for Mallorca Costa-del-Sol- pension hotels hit by the collapse pots decibased expat told of airline Monarch. the mated, with victims Olive Press he Balearic hotels sunk shocked to later dis- to end up back are facing a £59,000 €10million bill over through cover the value of their ain on benefits.”in BritEXCLUSIVE the colCWM, only realising lapse that saw the he investments had plum- “I have nothing but By Joe Duggan emergency had lost £39,000 repatriation of praise for Tony when meted dramatically. his pension Barnett back to the UK,over 110,000 trustees However, a source [Trafalgar MD] many from HUNDREDS sent a statement. Palma. and close to the Stewart “I couldn’t believe Administrator KPMG ish expats are of Britsisted: ‘There case in- mentum Davies [Mobattling are still chef execuhave lost thousandsit. I many customers Olive Press ‘the debt told the to retrieve their penowed by sions Monarch to hoteliers who tive]. They have pounds,” revealed of are happy after losing up will rank with their magnificent in been the pension to as an unsecured victim, asking tryclaim’ against £20 million in a failed ing to recoup the defunct airline. main anonymous.to re- A n d a l uportfolio.’ people’s pension investment OFF TO OZ: Boss c i a - b a s e d money.” “They will have to “The adviser Kirby tax specialist file a claim to scheme. and (above) team the joint administrators Angie The Olive Press uning me, ‘This iskept tell- Brooks, at for all Spanish-based finan- March guarana leading ex- derstands it is highly the money they are teed, it can’t go charity bash owed,” said cial advisory firm below a pert on pension lib- possible legal action a spokesman. certain level’.” tinental Wealth Coneration schemes “It has not been and may be taken by some His money, determined agement (CWM) Man- Many of them the founder of (yet) how much money folded transferred had others acrossand that of Life, Pension parties against CWM, has now launched available to creditors.” will be last month Spain and their pri- France, obliterat- vate Untitled-1.pdf ing many was put into a fight to help get UK 1 16/06/2017 heartbroken pensions through15:36 Brits’ life savings. the company, high-risk ‘professional tims’ money back. vicinvestor only’ assets, She it side is working alonghas been claimed. pension trustees Trafalgar International and Momentum based out of headquarSPECIALIZING IN: Pen- ters sions. in Alicante, and “People are its CRIMINAL LAW terribly executives. distressed,” Both the office in Javea CIVIL LAW based Brooks Granadatold the and the website have Olive Press. “They recently shut. BANKING (FLOOR CLAUSE) have When lost large amounts of spoke the Olive Press their retirement FAMILY LAW to boss Kirby he sav- ‘definitively’ ings.” denied She added: of responsibility over these people “Some are going crash. “I have lost the my world,” he said. A close associate of Kirby’s told the Olive Press former CWM staff were all ‘very e-mail: advocat1@demicco.es upset’. mobile number: 636 “It is still 307 533 Find out more on raw for them, andquite WWW.DEMICCO.CH page XX they are 20 working out what to do next,” he said. Ave de

three British claimants are seeking crimafter CWM’s September 2017 collapse inal charges for aggravated fraud, fake left him with just €22,000 from accounting and belonging to a criminal initial huge sums ‘without falling into losses’. investments of more than ₤800,000 Worse, it comes as it emerges that doz- organisation. (approx €900,000). ens of victims left destitute and penni- The complaints concern bungled house Davison was diagnosed less by the Denia-based firm are suing transactions, unpaid loans and failed sion just weeks after the with deprescollapse, before Smart and her former partner Darren pension investments that lost the claim- turning to alcohol abuse and developants over €1million between them. Kirby. ing type-2 diabetes, according to a video In the first case to reach the courts, One of the victims, Mark Davison, trag- shot just before his death. ically died, aged 59, in July this year His body, covered with lesions sores, had lain undiscovered for upand a week in the mid-summer heat at to his home in Sanet. “Mark died as a result of what had been In documents seen by the Olive done to him,” Timothy Benjamin, a Press, CWM was paid €3,391,873 of low claimant, told the Olive Press. felcommission for selling insurance “By the end he didn’t want the daylight bonds and investments by two Cyto appear.” prus-based financial firms, between Benjamin, 67, likewise felt ‘ashamed’ October 2015 and September after he lost his €250,000 private penA January 2019 statement 2017. from sion, reinvested by CWM into ‘risky’ Spain’s financial regulator revealed investments, via QROPS. insurance bonds were sold in In his official testimony he told breach of the law. the court how he had transferred ₤325,000 What is certain is that this (€375,000 approx) from a property funded a ‘lavish lifestyle’ for money sale to CWM on the basis the firm players Kirby and Smart, whoits key investing it in a villa in Monte Pego. was in a relationship together from were 2011 But court papers revealed ₤200,000 to March 2017, according to former went directly to the bank account staff members. of

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Opinion

NOTORIOUS: Disgraced businesswoman Jody Smart accused in financial scandal

EXCLUSIVE By Joshua Parfitt

26th 2017

PENSION OUTRAGE

Expats lose millions in life savings through failed investment scheme

EXCLUSIVE

Malaga’s property bestmagazine

E IV US CL EX

THE disastrous collapse of a Spain-based wealth management company that ruined the pension pots of hundreds of British expats is again playing out in the courts. A second lawsuit against Continental Wealth Management’s former staff and directors has begun at a Denia Court, on the Costa Blanca, seeking criminal justice for 17 separate claimants. Between them, the claimants lost €2.9 million after CWM salesmen won their trust to re-invest private pension pots overseas via QROPS. One claimant – Les Hutchings, 67, a retired bus driver from Blackpool – lost almost all of his €117,000 pension after CWM invested it in high-risk portfolios despite having requested low-risk investments. The Olive Press reported in 2017 how former clients alleged signatures had been forged to win CWM substantial commissions through ‘toxic’ structured note investments. The defendants – none of whom have faced justice since CWM’s 2017 collapse – are being investigated over claims of fraud, disloyal administration and falsification of commercial documents. Former staff members Darren Kirby, Patrick Kirby and Anthony Downs were requested to make declarations before the Denia judge on Monday, February 24. Former CWM director Jody Smart, along with Neil Hathway and Dean Stogsdill, were summoned on Tuesday, February 25. Lastly, former pensions advisor Stephen Ward and Paul

British expats who suffered massive pension losses start second court case against former British-run wealth management company on the Costa Blanca

The

EXCLUSIVE By Joshua Parfitt

GREEN Driven away

www.theolivepress.es

MADRID residents are dumping public transport, new data has revealed. From 2004 to 2018, the Capital’s bus, train and metro usage declined by 8%, while the use of private vehicles rose by 5%. The changing habits have been attributed to suburbanization – the process of people mov-

ing out of the city centre to live in the suburbs. Madrid’s Almendra Central zone, inside the M-30 ring road, lost 4% of its population and more than 12% of employment during the same 15-year period. That is according to a mobility survey undertaken in 2018 by the Colegio de Ingenieros de Caminos. The city centre has not emptied, but its population has instead been replaced by tourists and Spaniards who commute further for work.

March 4th - March 17th 2020 As in other metropolitan cities, staggering house prices have forced locals to move further out. The Transport Minister, Angel Garrido, said: “We will work to continue promoting a culture of public transport. “The goal is to have one in three trips made on public transport.” There is also a stark gender contrast, as women mostly walk (36%), whereas men mostly drive (44%).

FACING jail By Joanne Oakley

Toxic terrors THE deadly processionary pine caterpillar is arriving early this year thanks to climate change, experts have warned. The prickly fiends, whose hairs prove toxic to dogs and pets, have been encouraged due to a lack of rain and an increase in temperatures. According to the National Association of Environmental Health Companies (Anecpla), it means parks, gardens or forests in Andalucia with pine trees have already witnessed the return of the caterpillars. The group said their arrival is a month ahead of schedule and reiterated the threat they pose to domestic animals. Even the slightest of contact can cause dermatitis, eye damage and strong allergic reactions, including tongue swelling, often resulting in death.

Necrosis

The experts have warned citizens to take extra caution when walking their dogs. It comes after two sisters, aged five and 10, had to be treated by emergency paramedics in Ceuta after coming into contact with the pests. Both girls, who had been walking in San Amaro park, became covered in hives and saw their body temperatures soar. Both have now recovered fully. Malaga, Caceres, Sevilla and Valencia have all seen the caterpillars, the experts warned. They are particularly dangerous as you do not need to even touch them to be impacted, as when threatened they can shoot their spiky hairs as a defence mechanism. Acting as darts, they carry their toxic allergen and are just as dangerous. Each caterpillar has around 500,000 of the hairs, known as trichomes. In animals, the toxin from the hairs can cause swelling of the mouth, tongue and head and intense itching and over salivation. If they eat a caterpillar, it can cause necrosis of the tongue and throat, causing death.

PROSECUTORS have called for the Mayor of Nerja to face two years in prison for his alleged role in an illegal landfill. Jose Alberto Armijo faces jail after allegedly allowing 800,000 cubic metres of plastics and hazardous waste to be dumped by a riverbank. The beleaguered PP Town Hall boss and seven businessmen are accused of crimes against natural resources and the environment. The illegal dump has been next to the La Miel River in the Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama National Park since 1998. Police said the site is a ‘serious danger to the environment and the balance of natural ecosystems, as well as a significant fire risk.’ It comes as Armijo and former councillors have also been summoned to court over Nerja’s raw sewage scandal. For a decade, untreated human waste has been pumped into the sea off Nerja’s idyllic coast at just 40m deep. Faecal bacteria was detected at Burriana and nearby Torrecilla Beach last year during water sampling by Sevilla’s Institute of Toxicology.

Tonne up ALMOST 280 tons of rubbish has been collected in Cadiz after the first weekend of carnival. Town Hall data revealed that 144 and 135 tonnes of waste was collected on Saturday and Sunday respectively. Almost eight tonnes of cardboard, as well as other types of litter was picked up from beaches, streets and gardens. A total of 363 people were involved in Sunday’s clean-up operation. This is the 10th consecutive year that the clean-up plan has been executed, with cleaning in the historic centre, carried out in morning and night shifts.

ILLEGAL: Human waste in Nerja sea during tenure of Armijo (right)

Mayor at centre of raw sewage scandal to be prosecuted over illegal plastics dump Travel giant Jet2 had listed Burriana on its website as among the ‘things to do’ in Nerja, but stopped promoting the beach after it was contacted by the Olive Press last year. Nerja Town Hall is also accused of fraud after residents were reportedly paying for

non-existent water treatment in their bills since 2011. Nerja, Coin and Alhaurin el Grande all fall foul of EU rules stipulating that towns of over 15,000 people should have their own water treatment facilities. The Guardia Civil launched Operation Vastum in 2017 after the situation was highlighted by Ecologistas en Accion. Armijo has been mayor since June 2019, after also holding the role from 1995 to 2015, and being Councillor for the Environment between 2011 and 2015. He and former Nerja mayor Rosa Arrabal are due to give evidence at Torrox Court, while Coin politicians are also under investigation.

DISGUSTING: Rubbish dumped at Nerja’s La Miel River for over 20 years

LA CULTURA

Los Flintstones

A STUNNING collection of prehistoric carvings have been discovered in Catalunya. Archaeologists came across the 15,000 year old depictions of horses, deer and bulls, as well as a multitude of abstract symbols evidencing the artistry of ancient humans. There are over 100 etchings carved into the soft rock walls of the cave, which dates back to the Palaeolithic or Old Stone Age era. A team of archaeologists led by

Rare collection of cave etchings shed new light on Stone Age Spain

Josep Maria Verges uncovered the art within the Cave of Font Major complex, 90 kilometres from the Catalan capital. Incredibly the subterranean system was first discovered in 1853 but it was not until last October that experts were sent

in to analyse the etchings. Parts of the three-kilometre complex are open to the public, although no access has been given to the stretch of the cave containing the carvings. Maria Verges, from the Catalan Institute of Human Palaeoecology has described the find as ‘exceptional’ and compared the cave to a shrine.

The carvings are now being studied and recorded using 3-D scanning technology. They are said to be extremely fragile and can be damaged just by being touched, with experts trying to find ways of preserving them. The world-famous cave paintings of Altamira in northern Spain are thought to be up to 20,000 years older.

Sterling quality AN exciting new series of author events are being launched on the Costa del Sol. The first at the HQ of Marbella’s BinckBank will feature successful crime writer Lorraine Mace, the genius behind the thrilling D.I Sterling series. Mace will reveal the creative process that goes into writing her books on March 18. This event will be fascinating for those who’ve ever wondered how authors turn the spark of an idea into a fully-fledged novel. Lorraine’s latest work is Rage and Retribution, the fourth book of the much-loved D.I. Sterling series. It has been described as ‘crime writing at its very best’ and is the fourth book in the D.I. Paolo Sterling series. The event kicks off at 5pm, with drinks and nibbles following on. Anyone interesting in attending should register at www.binckbank. com/authorevents Book review Page 15

Palace pride THE Alhambra Palace has sold 12,590 tickets in the first eight hours of launching a new ticketing system. An incredible 1,200 tickets per hour were sold, with up to ten purchased per person. Costing from €14.85 for a basic ticket, it is expected to lead to more overnight stays in Granada city. The system was introduced after years of complaints over the old system, which

lent itself to fraud and much abuse by both staff members at the palace and local travel agents. The new official site, in English and Spanish, allows visitors to purchase their tickets three months ahead. Soon it will allow visitors to book a year ahead, while some will be made available to be purchased on the day. Visit www.tickets.alhambra-patronato.es

March 4th - March 17th 2020

what’s on

enealogy

VISIT the Picasso Museum in Malaga until May 31 to admire the works of famous artists such as Paul Cezanne, Henri Matisse, Vasily Kandinsky and Pablo Picasso himself included in the exhibition entitled Genealogias del Arte.

nderworld

IMMERSE yourself in a new temporary exhibition – on until June 7 – by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec at the Carmen Thyssen Museum in Malaga portraying the painter’s link with the underworld in Paris.

appy Birthday Ludwig

CELEBRATE Beethoven’s birthday at the Auditorio Museo Picasso de Malaga on March 4 at 8pm, where Trio Circulo will be in concert to commemorate the day.

orld Coffee

GUITAR duo Cafe del Mundo returns to the Costa del Sol, to perform a jazz filled night fused with funk at the Centro Cultural Villa de Nerja on March 26. Tickets are €10 in advance and €12 at the door.

FRAGILE: 3-D tech used to scan easily-damaged carvings

wan Lake

PROFESSIONAL dancer Fernando Tello is teaching ballet to adults at the Aula de Baile, Universidad Popular el Muro in Mijas on March 5 at 5:30pm-7pm.

Lights, camera, action ATTENDANCE at Spanish cinemas has grown by 37% in the last six years. According to a report by the Federacion de Cines de España (Fece), the number of cinema tickets sold since 2013 has grown by 37% to 105 million in 2019. In 2013, in comparison, only 77 million were bought. The figures since then have shown constant growth, with last year having 7.7 million more ticket sales, in comparison to 2018.

March 4th - March 17th 2020

LA CULTURA

I would not let a dictator dictate my life Ahead of International Women’s Day, Cristina Hodgson sits down with a feisty Franco survivor honoured for her heroics in a fascist, male-dominated world

RESILIENT: Isabel Marquez Fexias Sula

‘T

O tell a woman everything she cannot do, is to tell her what she can’ is a Spanish proverb that perfectly fits Isabel Marquez Fexias Sula. She grew up in Cordoba during the Franco regime when women were treated as second

class citizens. It was unthink- ternational Women’s Day on able for them to have careers March 8, ‘An equal world is - although prostitution was alan enabled world’ - but only lowed. collectively, with each individBut this determined young ual taking action, is that world woman refused to play by Fran- possible. co’s rules and would not let a The global awareness day first dictator dictate celebrated in her life. Now in 1911 to honher sixties, she Argentina alone, our women’s has just received achievements two awards. One horse trekking in is supported by from the Municover one million Guatemala and people today, no ipal Council of Montilla in Corso in Spain, scuba diving in less doba and one a country that from Mancomu- the Bay Islands recognises the nidad Campina independence of Sur Cordobesa, women. Howevboth given for her role as a pi- er, it wasn’t always this way. oneer in the struggle for gender Isabel railed against the reequality. strictions on women during the Her story perfectly illustrates Franco regime which led her to the theme for this year’s In- emigrate to the UK in the 60s

- an unthinkable act for a teenage girl in those dark days, just 18 with not a word of spoken English and just a few pesetas to her name. Now back in her home town of Montilla on the outskirts of Cordoba, I meet up with Isabel at her country hacienda. A spectacular view embraces our surroundings, rolling hills stretch as far as the eye can see, green and earthen hues blend into one as olive groves and vineyards fuse, intermingling with the azure sky. Isabel is watching me intently, a friendly smile on her face. “Welcome,” she says, gesturing for me to sit. Her tone reflects confidence, assurance and peace and I immediately feel at home. I’m intrigued to hear her story for, there’s no doubt, this is a woman who has overcome many hardships, building inner strength with every challenge she faced. First and foremost, she tells me, she considers herself a ‘person’ first, then a ‘woman’. She has LEADER: Isabel inspired other young women to follow her never allowed herself to be victimised or put off from doing something because of her They were denied many op- stood her distress, but it wasn’t gender. This philosophy, and portunities, especially in the going to stop me from going. her adventurous spirit, enabled workplace where professional I felt so suffocated by the reher to overcome the obstacles careers for women were un- pressed society it was a relief thinkable. Ironically, prostitu- to leave. I did cry for the first placed in her way. During over 40 years of self-ex- tion was permitted. Education month as I missed my family ile in Britain she became a followed very strict rules and but there was no regret in leavsuccessful business woman, we were taught by nuns whose ing. I just remember fitting in running her own Montessori knowledge was rather limited. from the get-go. I didn’t speak school which permitted her to In fact, I ended up explaining a word of English so I took travel all over the world giving basic arithmetic to the nuns language classes and started conferences - something that and my classmates. University working as a cleaner to pay my could never have happened was out of the question for me way. I never felt a foreigner in and women in general.” all my years in Britain. In fact had she remained in Spain. I am almost hypnotised as she “Women were only honoured in I felt I didn’t fit in or belong in their role as wife Spain at that time. ” whisks me back and mother. Had in time with tales stayed in Spain I Montilla is a relatively of her exploits; Worked as an Iwould have been small, inland town. Did you white water rafting in Costa interpreter for expected to mar- perceive any stigma - that ry and then, only people turned their backs Rica, crossing Argentina alone, the BBC covering if my husband let on you or saw you as a me, would I have bad influence for their own horse trekking the Spanish been allowed to daughters? in Guatemala travel, pursue a “No stigma at all. Spain was and scuba divelections career, own prop- ready for change. Women were ing in the Bay erty. Like I’ve starting to mark their place Islands … the said, this was not in society and my decision to stories spill out in an endless stream. Clearly not a woman to the future I wanted and my only leave caused a wave of other young women in town to follow be restrained by society, I’m in- solution was to leave.” my steps. Most of my friends trigued to find out more about the young Isabel, the one who How did your parents react followed suit and flew out to when you told them you the UK shortly after me. I was broke every rule in the book. were leaving? the only one to remain permaHow did you see your future “There were some men who nently in England, however, saw the potential that women but it was encouraging to see in Spain when you left? “I saw no future as a young had, and I was lucky that my a lot of young women breaking girl,” she says bluntly. “The so- father was one of those special the norm and seeking their inciety during Franco’s era was a men. He agreed when I told dependence as well. I would man’s world so that’s why I left. him my thoughts about leav- not let anything stop me, I was Unfortunately, despite many ing, in fact he encouraged me determined. I worked in the advances it is still a man’s soci- and was happy for me to go. My fashion industry, worked as an mother, on the other hand, was interpreter for the BBC covering ety,” she adds. “My home town was too small very unhappy and didn’t take the Spanish elections and set for me. I would have been mis- my departure well. She locked up a successful Montessori erable had I stayed. Let me herself away for a week when school in Wimbledon. explain. During the Franco era I left, refusing to eat, and cried “The only issue I had was when (1939-1975) women in Spain all day. Thankfully, she got over I married, as my then British were second-class citizens. it. And if I’m honest, I under- fiance was protestant and

LA CULTURA

ADVENTURE: Isabel scuba diving, white water rafting (top left), being awarded for her battle for gender equality (top right) and solo trekking across Argentina (right)

FAMILY: Isabel (left), younger sister Ana (right) and younger brother Paco BONDING: Isabel and daughter Cristina make the International Women’s Day salute marriage in those days had violence taking place. But we to be canonical, that is, per- need to keep focused and conformed under Roman Catholic tinue working hard.” law. None of the priests in town Where would wanted to peryou like to see The process is form the ceremowomen’s posiny.” very slow, but tion in society in five or ten what is clear is years? Your advice for young women “I would like to that we must today? see women po“Aim high and sitioned equally never give up achieve higher, in society NOW, that is the only not in five or ten way we will make our way, be years. Unfortunately, we all recognised and understood. know that it’s still not possible. And it’s especially important Society is taking a long time for society to understand how to realise the value of women hard it is for women, specifi- … how they care for their chilcally now with so much gender dren and how, in most cases,

CREATIVE: Isabel is also now a whizz at making ceramics

their careers are put to one side to look after them. However, if women didn’t have children, we would not have this world. Given that simple fact, I don’t know how women are not valued as they should be. Sadly, complete equality cannot be guaranteed in five or even ten years as the process is very slow, but what is clear is that we must never give up.” Today, although ‘retired’, Isabel’s adventures continue in Spain. She has discovered a new ‘career’ through her love for photography and ceramics, specialising in Raku, and her exceptional work is often on display at exhibitions in Cordoba. This is clearly a woman who will never give up.

March 4th - March 17th 2020

LA CULTURA

100 Spanish Icons In the first of a new series we look at the famous names you may have heard of, but probably don’t know the fascinating history behind. And as it’s International Women’s Day, we start with one of Spain’s leading ladies

1. Maria Zambrano

You may have travelled from the Maria Zambrano train station in Malaga without thinking about the woman this bustling station was named after. Here’s what you need to know. Where does she come from? María Zambrano was born April 22 1904 in Velez Malaga and as a teenager discovered a love of philosophy and politics that was to shape her life. What did she do? Unusually for a woman then, she went to Madrid University and after graduating taught philosophy there. She published her first book Horizon of Liberalism in 1931. At the same time she became heavily involved in volatile Spanish politics. What was the political scene then? The country was in turmoil. Maria campaigned for the establishment of the Second Republic - the democatic government that existed in Spain from 1931-39. She turned down an offer to become an MP for the PSOE party. But she sided with the republic when the Civil War broke out in 1936. When Franco established his military dictatorship, she

fled. Good move as she had been openly critical of his regime and of the dictator which was a dangerous move! What next? She wrote many acclaimed books on philosophy and poetry, but led a somewhat sad existence for the next 32 years. Living in Havana, Italy, France and Switzerland, she never settled as nowhere compared to her beloved Spain. But she swore she could not return until Franco died. Did she ever come back? Maria stepped on Spanish soil again in 1983, 42 years after her exile. She was 77 years old. Still a prolific writer, she was named the Favourite Daughter of Andalucia and given an Honorary Doctorate by Malaga University. She also set up the Maria Zambrano Foundation in Velez-Malaga. In 1988 she was the first woman to be awarded the prestigious Cervantes prize for literature. She died in Madrid in 1991, but is buried in Velez-Malaga in the shade of a lemon tree. In 2006 it was decided to name the train station after her.

Gripping

Rage and Retribution by Lorraine Mace This is a gritty and gripping crime thriller featuring the enigmatic D.I. Paolo Sterling. When a man is found by the side of a canal having been viciously attacked and left for dead, the police quickly realise that this violent case is not an isolated one. D.I. Paolo Sterling realises he is going to need a strong stomach and all the resources at his disposal to catch a vicious criminal who will stop at nothing. Montague Mason is a much-respected pillar of the community. However, when he is accused of stealing the funds allocated for the local youth centre, shock waves ripple across the entire city. As his best-kept and long-held secret is exposed, how far is Montague willing to go to protect his name, his reputation and himself? Rage and Retribution is a compelling read, full of tension and suspense, that deals with some difficult issues. An outstanding thriller that is a must-read for fans of Val McDermid and Karin Slaughter. €12.90, Available from The Bookshop San Pedro - www.thebookshop.es Meet the Author. Lorraine Mace will be Launching Rage and Retribution in The Bookshop San Pedro on Wednesday, March 4 from 17:00-19:00. Sterling quality Page 11

LETTERS

March 4th - March 17th 2020 Check out our issues online at www.theolivepress.es

Ramp fail

Olive Press readers react to a new 60-metre-long wheelchair ramp at a school in Andalucia (Donkey wrong, pg 56, Issue 337)

Mallorca Issue 74 OLIVE PRESS MALLORCA

The REuse REduce REcycle

Fresh pool probe

expat

GLOBAL APPEAL

Bundles in Benahavis

enahavis

LEAMING like hills above a white pearl in the Marbella, no wonder, is the Benahavis classic whitecrown jewel of Andalucia’s Grant, Rod with the likes of visitors Stewart and Hugh villages for sons. do contributing Cristiano Ronalso many reato the town Most famously, The village hall coffers. it’s the richest cipality in billionaires is second home to a host of wealthiest the region and the muni- neighbouringwho have bought property per capita second swankiest La Zagaleta, in average income in all Spain Andalucia’s private with Putin pushing €29,000. is reportedlyurbanisation. Vladimir And one - although the Continues

overleaf

Classic Spain

HEAD TO HEAD Westminster vs Wellington

ll about

February 2020

The British dukes of hazard battling to be Spain’s biggest property moguls

A PEARL BEYOND PRICE

Why is Spain’s second richest town in a rural backwater of Andalucia?

Unlike its well-heeled residents you don’t need deep pockets to enjoy the wealth of natural wonders in Benahavis, writes Joanne Oakley

Boffin breakthrough ZOOMED IN: Microscope image

By Isha Sesay

Gibraltar Issue 116

A DAMNING study has found that 50% of the Med’s beach plastic ‘comes from tourists’. The project, by Blueislands, comon pared plastic and other waste three different beaches on eight different islands. litIt found that 80% of beach ‘diter was plastic, with tourism the rectly’ accounting for 50% of plastics. On each island the researchers a looked at a busy tourist beach, less popular locals beach and one almost ‘untouched’. de In Mallorca, Calvia’s Playa Santanyi, near Caragol, Es Tora, and the natural beach of Sa Canova near Arta, were studied. Rubbish, including micro-plastics collected, was and small particles, catalogued and analysed at intervals throughout the year. Other islands in the study included Sicily. Mykonos, Malta, Crete and it is estimated that some 752 million 3.7 plastic particles weighing a total of tons are present in the sea. The vast majority are microplastics of less than in five millimetres in size, as detailed a recent study by the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies. Opinion Page 6

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The Rock’s ONLY free local paper HEAD TO HEAD II It’s Westminster vs Wellington

Olive Press special supplement

Education

STROKES DIFFERENT W first day of term with butterflies E’VE all been there on the just the parents. can in our stomachs – and that’s alike, starting a new school For children and adults and/or nerve wracking days of be one of the most memorable pacour lives. of anxious mums and dads has walked You can tell from the number long after their little one on with it to get ing outside the school gates some parents leave them through them. Although kids far prefer. the best for independently, which older have in common is wanting But one thing all parents the final tweak their children. day get going long before kitchen Preparations for the big tie) and the cry from the of the noose (aka the school lunch!’ ‘Don’t forget your packed and buffed to a shine, parents Before new shoes are purchased

MALAGA is bracing for Brexit by looking to the US and Middle East to reduce its reliance on the traditionally important British market. The province’s tourism bosses have decided the area needs diversify in terms of visitors to not just from the UK, but also the local market.

in With so many good schools the right one southern Spain, picking Charlie is a multiple choice question. sheet of Smith prepares a cheat answers to help you decide

on it as algebra - but we’ve worked child’s education as confusing to help simplify your choice. with a cheat sheet checklist

It’s all about balance certainly a driving

will suit their hard about which school will have thought long and choice when it child. you really are spoilt for premier Fortunately in Andalucia, along with some of Spain’s comes to a quality education, perfect climate to enjoy them. sporting facilities and thepicking the perfect launchpad for your Unfortunately, it makes

after school are academia,” says “Exam results and activities don’t want a barrage of School force but some parents at Sotogrande International James Kearney, head teacher school, and I don’t think schools (SIS). “They want a balanced of should be exam factories. develop into the best versions Parents want to see children

See the battle of British dukes and their Spanish property empires, only on www.theolivepress.es this weekend

Continues overleaf

Private or state school? All this and more in our free Education Supplement.

“If the national market catches cold we don’t want to get pneumo-a nia,” said tourism boss Francisco Salado, “we want to have an antidote.”

t o

21/6/19 13:30

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Ditching the Brits

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VICTORY!

Boosting

The new drive means the need get more flights to new markets to in America, Asia and the Middle East. It is hoped flights will be set up between New York, Washington and Miami, making up for the loss of the Delta Airlines route to New York cancelled last year. The plans come in an 800-page marketing plan for 2020-2023, which has detailed 213 objectives to increase competitiveness. By Laurence Dollimore These include improving the quality of jobs and boosting the €16.8 billion market by 3.4% each year. A BRITISH They also want to focus marketing a landmarkexpat couple have won legal battle against spend more on the Nordic market. a bank after being duped into mortgaging their dream home to GLOBAL plunder their cash into supposedA APPEAL B ly ‘low-risk’ investments. Pensioners Barry and Marion Joyce were about to lose their home in Benalmadena, which had their 70s. A PEAR cost them their life savings, after They have BEYO L becoming trapped in the sophis- keep more also been allowed to than €15,000 given to PRICEND ticated financial product. G them by Devised by the Rothschild bank, bonus. the bank as a signing on the product targeted expats who had properties in Spain with no Demanding mortgages. It allowed them to take out mort- It is the first sentence to directly gages worth up to 75% of condemn N.M Rothschild & Sons value of their homes with the and its Credit Select Series Four proceeds then invested with the arm, which marketed the insurance company to provide an Investment Transfer and Spanish an Income income. Mobilisation Plan (Sitimp). But things went awry when More than 100 other cases are investments did not perform the set to come before courts well as promised, leaving the as Spain over the next few around exyears. pats unable to pay off their mort- In each case, once expats agreed DUPED: The Joyces joyous after landmark gages. to mortgage their homes, win the Now a judge from Malaga bank assessed their property and International Luxembourg condemned the bank, rulinghas immediately gave them SA, Press in 5 to 10% which favour of the Joyces. was also condemned in the last has reported on over the of its value in cash. five years. In 2017, we recase. The Torremolinos court annulled They then used their equity to In the entire mortgage and ordered invest in what were advertised the first year alone the cou- ported how bank owner, French aristocrat as ple’s €227,000 Everything you need to know in our Rothschild to return ‘every penny ‘safe products’. investment sunk schild had Baron David de Rothfree travel guide pages, 13 to 20 paid’ so far by the been forced to answer Joyces, both in In the case of the Joyces, they by a shocking €55,443. questions over the investments took out a loan of €227,000 with in an Alicante court. the bank which The multi-millionaire banking Stress was invested By 2016, 10 years after signing scion denied any knowledge of into supposedly onto the deal, the investment had the complex case that saw up to ‘low risk’ finan- not grown and the Rothschild 1000, mostly British pensioners, cial products bank was demanding lose millions. €302,000 Rothschild abroad. in mortgage insisted that he ‘did repayments from the UK BASED This product couple. not know’ about the product. “I was actually a The bank threatened that if they was not personally involved in the life insurance didn’t pay contracts”, he wrote in French. through a com- taken from their home would be Marbella lawyer, Antonio Flores, pany called As- The stress them. of Lawbird, who is helping dozpecta Assurance lar to manyof the case was simi- ens of British pensioners other cases the Olive mount for Spanish a class action against the Rothschild enterprise, told the Olive residents Press: “I find it shocking that the man who’s a boss in a bank www.globelink.co.uk doesn’t know about what was going on with one of his companies or anything about the product See page 39 - 40 that 96 626 5000 was being sold”, he said. +44 (0) 1353 699082 “It’s just not believable to me.”

Expat couple will keep Costa home in landmark win against Rothschild bank

ll about

enahavis

February

2020

Unlike its well-heeled

residents don’t needyou deep pockets to enjoy the wealth of natural wonders in Benahavis, writes Joanne Oakley

LEAMING hills abovelike a white is Marbella, pearl in the classic the crown no wonder, jewel of Benahavis sons. white villages Andalucia’s with the Grant, for so Rod Stewart likes of Most many reado contributing visitors and cipalityfamously, it’s Hugh The village to the Cristiano Ronalin the the richest wealthiest region billionaires is second town hall coffers. muniand per average neighbouringwho have home to a incomecapita in all the second host bought Spain pushing swankiest La property of €29,000. with Putin private Zagaleta, Andalucia’s in And is reportedlyurbanisation. Vladimir one although the overleaf

Beautiful Benahavis

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Dodgy deals, the mafia and how squatters are now ‘owned by the banks

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Your expat

voice in Spain

February 20th - March 4th, 2020

EXPAT TRAGEDY SHOCKING: Alina’s body had (right) Karvink taken away been bound and wrapped in blood soaked blanket while by the police

HAPPIER

The Spanish property battle between two British dukes

EXCLUSIVE By Joshua Parfitt

See page 10

How Spain’s Wikiloc is taking over the world

See page 14

THE wedding date had been set and the invites recently sent out. So friends were left stunned when body of Alina Mocanu was found the rubbish bin on Monday - with herin a pat fiance now accused of killing her.exThe mother of a 14-year-old son was discovered by dustmen at 8.10am wrapped in a blood-soaked blanket. She had been bound in ropes and deep wounds to her forearms andhad to her neck. The whole Moraira community is still in shock after it emerged husband-to-be - a well known local her estate agent - had admitted to the brutal slaying. The 36-year-old from Calarasi, near Bucharest, in Romania, had been dating Dutch expat Arthur Karvink, 59, for two years. The pair worked together in a front line estate agency, just yards from the beach of the idyllic resort town. But now the ex-marine is facing life in prison after turning himself into the Guardia Civil in nearby El

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Alina, 36, found dead in bin was due to be married to well known Dutch estate agent now accused of killing her

mer Marine Corps soldier has been in the dock for attacking his would-be bride. A spokesperson for the Valencian Courts of Justice told the Olive Press, this week, that police had actually raced to an incident at Karvink’s house in the early hours of June last year. A Denia judge went on30, issue a restraining order of 300m to to protect Alina from her fiance. He also Portet at 12.30pm on Tuesday. He quickly confessed to the horrific ruled zero communication between crime. The next day, videos circulated the pair, in the run up to Karvink’s trial of a man, face concealed, being man- at Benidorm’s criminal court no 2. handled by detectives into the Bril- However, Alina refused to testify and liant Real Estate office, that had been the case collapsed due to lack of evidence. A friend of the couple told founded by Karvink, back in 2016. Olive Press that Karvink was ‘pronethe Shouts of ‘Mordenaar’ (‘murderer’ to Dutch) and ‘Asesino’ were hurled in aggressive episodes’. at The the hooded figure on Moraira’s cenDutchman, who asked to remain anonymous, tral Avenida Madrid. Reports later ap- aggressive said: “He got strange and peared of the prime suspect admitting with me on two occasions he had killed Alina in the office, where and I immediately recognised he had they worked together, with a kitchen this behavioral issue.” He put the issue knife following an argument on Sun- down to his tours of duty in trouble day. Karvink’s case will now be heard spots around the world as a soldier. “I at Denia’s Court of Violence Against am dealing with two other friends with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder for Women. It it not the first time the alfor-

96 649 1883 www.moraira-hamiltons.net

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I’m in the US and have booked for my first trip to Spain for many months. Unless the airline cancels the flights I have no choice but to go or waste my ticket. I definitely have concerns about travel and your reports are helping me to understand this very fluid and constantly changing situation. Please keep reporting on it and let us readers/tourists know if your famous landmarks are being closed. Paris closed the Louvre. I wonder if the authorities in Spain will close La Sagrada Familia, the Prado and/or Guggenheim Museums and the Alhambra Palace? Katherine Wenglikowski, California

Why didn’t they just install a lift for disabled peoplel only. Linda Radmore, Malaga

Public information

Money to burn

There is help for the homeless in Fuengirola, at Lux Mundi Centro Ecumenico (The forgotten, pg 7, Issue 337). The homeless are given clothing, hot meals and help to get medication. Anybody can help there as a volunteer.

Whoever approved this total waste of money should pay for it. Pauline Laverick, Torrevieja

Challenge accepted

It almost makes you want to get a wheelchair just to see if it’s possible to go up it! Lionel Cooper, Cranfield

No laughing matter

This has to be a joke. As a carer of a 220kg man in a wheelchair, this would just about see me in a wheelchair myself! Lola Lopez, Sabinillas

They don’t care

No logic, this is ignorance mixed with arrogance yet again at a Spanish town hall. Arroyo D’Flint, Manchester

Has anything piqued your interest in this week’s Olive Press? Have your say on the matter by emailing letters@ theolivepress.es or message us on at www.facebook.com/OlivePressNewspaper or Twitter @olivepress

Lorna Henry, Marbella

No love lost She’s his mum (Hearing about Hercules, pg 2, Issue 337). However I’m not shedding too many tears. When you read his record and the fact he pulled a loaded gun on the streets of Estepona… His mum needs to understand that the Spanish police don’t mess about when it comes to handling violent disorder, unlike the sadly neutered British cops who have been undermined by the race industry among other things. That card wont work here thank God. Ambrose Boxwell, London

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dictators the opposite reality Press, . There are 28 sovereign states, DearisOlive to become chose bankers!, pg voluntari (Total UK, thankly you the say a big including to which wanted just I Steve Dunne believes that the UK would associate 5, Issued.332). to going Unicaja though I’m not Not so. even terms.worked, WTO much pretty planon Thebetter fair was respons and ible that Ichapter saying note by quoting strong page me ayour letters wrotedown weigh secret. number keeping into the and looks the card,nd Steve the that for keeping but I recomme verse, pay out, not would y compan e Trump insuranc That their said knows. he They that industry any of specifics to reimhas the law, to the should UKhad accordin EU-free anbank with deal to get agtrade trying isbut me. deals burse trade tell you all you want to know: Trump’s and the €50 for the first forMahler was respons told Ilabels. I was speaks Brent Finally, ible US-first have €950. me paid bank force armed EU an of wary citizens UK of a number continued success at your wonderful paper. you closer union. However, these are ideas I wish an ever and ly rubbish. l were absolute Policia Naciona P.S. The I am not specific people by floated I know, looked at as policy. farEU or, as d meand They never contacte years of pro40-plus insidious the at worried more the two banks’ CCTV. the EEC/EU by the Mail, Telegraph, paganda regards, Kindestagainst Express, Times and, of course, The Sun. What did na Estepo Stock, Neville anwas so why he Murdoch say when he was asked I go intoIt’s a “WhenNeville. of:letter lines the g along ti-EU? Somethin yourgo to the EU.” The you for ED: Thank say: when do what No. 10 they the full you getent! notI help weI could shame an appointm for stole, ask to had implication is that he but it’s good thief the that

and Arthur

most 30 years and so I know how to recognize the symptoms. “It’s really sad about what happened, but he was sick in the head.” Questions are now being raised about the authorities’ intervewntion as na becomes the 11th woman to dieAlithe hands of a partner in 2020 so at Moraira Town Hall declared a dayfar. of mourning on Wednesday, this week, while Alicante’s Town Hall held a minute’s silence in Alina’s honour. “From the youngest among us, must put a stop to this social diseasewe of gender violence,” said Alicante’s deputy mayor Mari Carmen Sanchez. “We cannot continue having years as black as this one has begun. “We must be totally intolerant – if have any doubt or suspicion about you type of situation, I encourage you tothis report it and prevent victims from being silent. We must use all the mechanisms available to us by the administrations to stop the figures of this social scourge from rising.”

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Continues

LEAVERS: Trio of Brits in Spain

of ‘wonder substance’

Trashy tourism means exactly that

Mallorca scientists develop material capable of absorbing microplastics from the sea

BOFFINS in the Balearics have come up with an ingenious invention that can absorb microplastics from the sea. The team at Mallorca University substance filters out pollution (UIB) made the breakthrough while ISLAND REVOLUTION: Hybrid conducting experiments in the lab. water, and could Based on the doctorate of PHD stu- Researcher del Rio had always fo- of contaminated sea pollution, posdent Mateo del Rio, the team discov- cused his doctoral thesis on solving serve to monitor sibly leading to larger scale projects. ered a material that can extract pol- water pollution problems. The young chemist stressed the need lutants from water, including dyes to raise awareness about safeguarding and plastics. Exploitation the environment. Team leader doctor Gemma Turnesa in “You have to locate where the probhopes that it can now be used asthe According to his study, published order to act as soon as magnet to remove pollutants from the ACS Applied Materials & Inter- lems are in respond to natural disaspossible and sea and other bodies of water. faces scientific journal, the material in ters,” he added. The Chemistry Faculty researcher can extract pollutants from water His hybrid substance has a metal-orit was extremely stable, both just ten minutes. added 15:36 (MOF-74) and porous 16/06/2017 chemically and thermally and is easy It can be used to clean small samples ganic structure carbon. to regenerate. There is currently concern much about the overof exploitation natural resources, which has led to a range of measures UK BASED being rolled out across the island. Between Mallorca and Menorca alone,

Typical Spanish local authority logic! They show no embarrassment. No one is responsible. The pavements are in desperate need of repair, but this is of little matter when we can build a silly ramp. Douglas Ross, Marbella

See p18

Find out on p9

INVESTIGATORS have once again the inspected the pool which took lives of three British holidaymakers in Andalucia on Christmas Eve. alIt comes after a Malaga judge lowed a ‘parallel’ probe be launched by the Diya family into how the pool at the Club La Costa World Resort, Gain Mijas, could have killed dad briel, 52, daughter Comfort, aged nine and son Emmanuel, 16. The site was visited by an engineer, professional diver and an assistant. The experts carried out several tests Jain front of the Diya family lawyer vier Toro. Guests of the hotel remained lounging on sunbeds as the diver entered the water for around half an hour.the He took photos of all areas of pool, focusing on its suction systems and drains. The group then introduced a piece of cloth into the water and analysed how it reacted to the suction system. They then did the same with a swimming cap, similar to that of Comby fort’s, which had been found Guardia Civil officers in the main foldrain of the purification system lowing the tragic incident.

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February 21st - March 5th, 2020 Vol. 3 Issue 74 www.theolivepress.es

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Tourism shutdown?

15 Fruit drink (8) 16 Bivouac (6) 17 Forbidden (5) 19 Shallow dish (6) 21 Whirlpool (4) 23 Peak (4)

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ll about

Vol. 13 Issue 338

Manilva, Sabinillas and Duquesa www.theolivepress.es

March 2020

HISTORY: The Castillo de la Duquesa takes pride of place, keeping watch over the unspoilt Mediterranean coves and beaches that stretch all the way from Sabinillas to Cadiz province

Worlds collide Breathtaking coastline meets inland adventure. Joshua Parfitt finds bags of Spanish tradition and plenty of expats in Manilva, Sabinillas and Duquesa

UCKED down a side street in Sabinillas, McGuinness’ Irish Pub was always a cosy, welcoming, if unassuming local pub. However its stellar reputation was relatively unknown further afield, until it was launched into TV stardom in an episode of Channel 4’s A New Life in The Sun. And its patrons, expat couple Micheal and Danielle, typify the get-up-and-go spirit of Sabinillas, Duquesa and Manilva. Just around the corner is Kinsale restaurant in the heart of Duquesa port, where you can order a fantastic homemade pie washed down with a Guinness. This local favourite recently had its moment in the spotlight too, as ITV News descended for Brexit night as the UK left the

FUN IN THE SUN: For local families and McGuinness patrons Micheal and Danielle in Sabinillas

EU. It is no surprise as Manilva officially has the highest percentage of Brits on the padron in Spain. There are some 4,000 of Brits in the 12,000-strong municipality. And it isn’t just those from Blighty. Other settled expats help make up 42% of Manilva’s population, according to Dean Tyler BRUNOS Shelton, Manilva local, and one of the only British politicians on the Costa del Sol. Most in these parts inhabit either the coral-white marina of La Duquesa, which sits at the end of the mile-long beachfront of San Luis de Sabinillas or up on the hilltop lookout of Manilva itself. Though the Brits and the 180-odd other nationalities come CAR RENTAL .COM

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from all walks of life and occupations (Ed: Some have even set up a newspaper here!) they all have something in common. Like Manilva’s first health tourist, Julius Caesar, who visited the Roman baths around 60BC, it seems that people come here for a temperate life beneath the jaw-dropping mountains, fed by the fruits of the sea. Walking around the yacht-dotted marina I meet expat John Jackson, a 74-year-old Scotsman, counting the fish in the shallows, watching them eat crumbs from his pan flauta, or Spanish baguette. “It’s a really well maintained port, friendly and safe too,” the former business consultant told the Olive Press, which is also Continues next page

ll about

March 2020

Manilva, Sabinillas and Puerto de la Duquesa

From previous page

Super Sabi

coincidentally based in Manilva. John moved to la Duquesa in 2012, where in the winter months the marina remains virtually untouched by tourism. Wandering the cozy, pedestrianised streets, it’s clear that this place is small enough for everyone to know everyone - and while collecting my chips and curry sauce from a takeaway, a local waiter pops in to practise his English. Nearby, San Luis de Sabinillas offers another take on coastal living with its collection of ‘chiringuitos’, where the salt sea air is flavoured with the aroma of ‘pescaditos fritos’ - fried fish, Spanish style this time. These informal beach restaurants often open around Easter in preparation for the holiday season, and in the winter lie dormant like a grapevine, waiting for the sun. February is exactly the right time for British expats Peter and Jackie, who have had a holiday home here for the past 12 years.

Bustling

They say they come to ‘Sabi’ - as they affectionately call the town - in winter to escape the biting cold of England and to avoid the bustling crowds of summer. On Sundays, however, the famous flea market Rastro de Sabinillas proves that the Spanish do not hibernate and there is still much to see and to do. Held weekly at the fairground off the Camino de los Banos de la Hedionda, the Rastro is a bargain hunter’s paradise stretched across 300 stalls piled with jewel-coloured fruit and veg, antiques, local handicrafts and second-hand designer wear. Running further west the other side of Duquesa, the coastline gets wilder and less and less developed. Here, you will find an extensive nature zone and golden beaches edged with wild grasses and flowers. The Punta Chullera area is a rock-pool potterer’s paradise and offers the occasional curious sight, such as fresh squid hanging on washing lines to dry. Here is where I meet Belgian biker Robert Vermeulen, who winds down to the rocky headland ‘to do nothing’ but enjoy his retirement. The 69-year-old makes the journey to the beach from his Casa-

TOWERING: A lifeguard tower and the real McCoy in Duquesa

res pueblo apartment by motorbike to take long walks and soak up the sea air. “I think the coastline is just beautiful,” he says, in his leather biker’s jacket as the sun pokes out. The local fisherman still have a place in the community, he tells me, pointing out the numerous vessels parked in front of the promenade. Next to the gin palaces bobbing at anchor in la Duquesa’s pleasure port, he appreciates that Manilva has not lost its authenticity. If resting on your well-earned retirement laurels is not for you, then you can still head for the rugged hills of Manilva, which unfold like a fan along several walking and off-road trails. These capillaries are ever more deeply etched into the landscape by the coast’s growing number of biking and walking enthusiasts who enjoy the trips into nature. Adventurers should also make a pilgrimage to Manilva itself, which traces its roots back to 16th century vineyards famed throughout the world for their sweet wines, known locally as ‘vino mosto’.

Vineyards

The story of its thriving wine industry is beautifully told at the Nilva Wine Museum where you can also take a vineyard tour. While meandering through the resting vineyards I bump into Dave and Nicki, who say they only make the trip now for old-time’s sake. Having run their own property business for 15 years on the Costa de la Luz, they came to Manilva to open up shop and capitalise on the throngs of holiday-home buyers eyeing up the area. The 2008 economic crash changed that and their business suffered in the ensuing years. “People stopped coming, even the Brits,” recalls Nicki. Despite a tainted experience, the couple say that Manilva is back in business and shows

RURAL: The fecund valley between Manilva and Casares is awash with crops

no sign of slowing down, with ‘more Brits here now then there have been in previous years’. Indeed, in the town centre I see both Spaniards deftly opening salty ‘pipas’ - sunflower seeds baked in shells - in one bite, and two mums with thick Yorkshire accents keeping tabs on their skateboarding children. Nearby, on the border with Casares, you can go back in time to one of Costa del Sol’s earliest recorded new arrivals: the Roman baths of Hedionda. The cloudy blue pools reposing beneath arched brickwork allow you to take in the sublime atmosphere of hundreds of years of history, where medicinal sulphur spring flowing out of from the limestone is said to cure a whole host of ailments, including sunburn. In fact, that is what brought Julius Caesar to Manilva when he was governor of southern Spain to cure a nasty skin infection. Apparently, it worked. Whether here for work or for pleasure, the sun, the sea and the fresh food are never far from people’s reasons for residence Spanish or foreign. Somehow it still feels as if a certain spell hangs over these hills, attracting people here from near and far.

19 March 2020

The Olive Press talks to Manilva mayor Mario Jimenez Rodriguez What is the biggest draw to Manilva? I’m a big fan of the green spaces and the fantastic expanse of coastline, some 8 kms in total. We are working really hard not to over-develop the coast and have actually dropped density levels since I came to power What about the history here? Well there is actually an incredible amount to enjoy, such as the castle, near Duquesa, and the fascinating Roman archaeological site we are currently exploring beside it. The Romans had a key base in Manilva and we understand they made a lot of the celebrated fish paste Garum here, which was exported back to Rome. I am also fascinated by the Fortress of Los Castillejos de Alcorrín, an eighth century castle - and much older settlement - which was only discovered in 1989. Why did you run for mayor? I’ve now spent 17 years in public office, and have held posts such as councillor of sport, youth and infrastructure, as well as working

Everyone welcome in our green paradise in the technical office in the Association of Municipalities of the Western Costa del Sol. But as I am from here I wanted to come back and help my village, where I originally ran a plumbing shop.

spaces and gardening, etc) while also lowering taxes for three years in a row.

After two years in office, what have you achieved?

We’re very lucky that Manilva has a lot of potential in terms of tourism, sport and culture. My plan for the future is based on creating new infrastructure projects and aiming to get 5% of the cultural tourism that comes to the Costa del Sol.

I am happy with the changes we have made to the historic centre, as well as the covered pool in Sabinillas and the improvements with the wine museum. I think we have bettered the local quality of life (better cleaning, more green

What steps are being taken to get the type of town you want?

How would you define yourself politically?

VINE TIME: View from village north-east and (above) a mural of grape pickers

While initially from the IU (United Left) party I am much more central in terms of my views today. I live in the heart of town, near the town hall and feel like just another member of the community, leaving my door open to everyone. Any future projects you want to highlight? We’ve been further improving the historic centre of Manilva, in particular with four streets and with more works on the church. I want to encourage more people to come up to

the old town. Any message for the foreigners here, particularly with Brexit looming? We are very proud that so many foreign residents have chosen Manilva as their home, in particular the British, who number 3,168 out of our official census of 17,500. We know there are many thousands more, perhaps 5000 who come and go and we hope they continue to enjoy our town. And we will certainly make you feel welcome whatever happens with Brexit.

20 March 2020

ll about

Manilva, Sabinillas and Puerto de la Duquesa

Once upon a time Manilva was among the richest and bestconnected places in the world

OMAN roots run deep throughout the Iberian Peninsula but this westerly corner of the Costa del Sol really tickled Roman legion fancies for the climate, the fishing, the farming … and for its strategic position at the gateway to the Mediterranean … and home. Stone Age man and many later invaders liked it too but it was the Roman Empire - to which it once belonged - that really put what we now call Manilva and San Luis de Sabinillas on the map. What did the Romans do for us? They made the region rich, they brought work, they built roads just like in the Monty Python sketch. The area was as well-connected then as it is today. They left behind fascinating ruins and a working Roman health spa you can still check into. And it’s free. First, a little history … Baetica, the Roman name for Andalucia, became one of the most dynamic and economically developed regions in the far-flung Roman Empire, rich in resources and modern in outlook, even welcoming liberated slaves. Before the legions arrived in the second century AD life was hard and simple, the land dotted with small and

Empire days

VIA ROMANA: Roman bridge at Banos de Hedionda

isolated agricultural settlements. However the development of a fish salting industry fuelled by increasing Roman

presence on the Iberian Peninsula saw most of these segmented populations moving to the coast, settling in the town we now call San Luis de Sabinillas. At that time, salt curing was the best method for preserving fish for export by sea to Rome and other parts of the Empire. Manilva became known as Saltum and came under the administration of Conventus Gaditanus - a vast region stretching from modern-day Cadiz province and along the the entire Costa del Sol to Almeria. Casares, under the Roman name of Lacipo, was a strategic gateway from the valley to the mountains of Cadiz and Malaga. Manilva and Casares boasted road links as good as EU funding has provided today. They were connected by one of Baetica’s main thorough- HEALING: Taking a swim in fares to Carteia (currently the Banos de Hedionda San Roque where the Roman ruins of Carteia still partially built around a natural minersurvive), Corduva (now Cor- al spring where Julius Caesar doba) and the city of Baeti- himself is said to have cured ca, together with Italica and a skin complaint. Still in workHispalis, both in the Sevilla ing order today, the name region. means ‘stinky’ in Spanish and Some of that comes from amazing infrathe sulphurous structure still waters which Where Julius survives. Rosmell like rotman remains Caesar himself ten eggs. can be found The good times is said to have in Sabinillas, ended when Haza del CasaBaetica was cured a skin reño, Laguninvaded by complaint etas, Manilva Visigoths and and Castillo the Roman’s de la Duquesa Iberian empire which showcases the rem- fell around 5AD. People startnants of a Roman Baths, ed to abandon the coastal town, curing factory and even settlements, returning inland a necropolis. in search of other ways to However, undoubtedly the survive, perchance to dream most popular ‘asset’ is La of the glory that was once Hedionda, the Roman baths Rome.

Running things well

LEGEND: Jose Carlos Gomez Santos is running from Nerja to Manilva in 24 hours for the environment

MARIO Jimenez is still beaming from ear to ear, weeks after his town was once again rewarded for its green credentials. The Manilva mayor was overjoyed to receive a Blue Bow Tie award – Pajaritas Azules – Spain’s top recycling honour. Manilva was among just 35 Spanish municipalities to scoop the gong, which recognises ‘excellence’ in the collection and processing of paper and cardboard. A total of 21 indicators are used to assess local authorities, on everything from emptying the blue recycling containers, to public awareness and waste treatment. But Jimenez is not just the mayor of another small Andalucian town. He recognises the part that everyone – big and small – has to play in the climate emergency. “Pajaritas Azules is a demanding program, which contributes to achieving the recycling objectives and advancing the path of the circular economy,” he said. “This is among the priorities to combat global warming, set out in the climate emergency declaration of the Government.” But those who know Manilva will be aware that this latest achievement is by no means environmental window dressing. Duquesa port for example, is not just a popular expat watering hole, but is actually one of two pilot sites for a pioneering national anti-marine pollution programme. The popular port was chosen along with Girona’s port to take part in the BAJUREC project,

When it comes to the environment, Manilva is leading the way launched by the Clean Landscape Association. Researchers installed special containers in the port to measure the presence of ocean carbon caused by fishing vessels. One Manilva resident who also does more than his bit for the planet is long-distance runner Jose Carlos Gomez Santos. The Cordoba-born dad-of-one inspired the Costa del Sol last October by completing a mammoth run from his adopted town all the way to Nerja in just 24 hours. Local recycling firm Reciclados Jurado partnered with the athlete for the insane challenge, over some 180 kilometres. The event not only raised awareness of the plight of ocean plastic, but also made a real change as hundreds joined Jose at different stages to help clear up beaches. Jose will repeat his feat this October, running the reverse journey from Nerja to Manilva. For now at least, it seems that Manilva is a shining example of how to look after the environment.

March 2020

22 March 2020

ll about

Manilva, Sabinillas and Puerto de la Duquesa

FISHERMEN: Pull up their boat on Sabinillas beach, voted one of the best in Malaga province, while (right) an octopus is dried on a line at a chiringuito restaurant at Punta Chullera

Perfect port

PORT VIEW: From the terrace at Kinsale restaurant, which overlooks the lively Duquesa port

Duquesa is the true gem of Manilva with dozens of restaurants and an international clientelle to match

UQUESA is a small harbour with a big personality. Any lunchtime, even in winter, the pavements are filled with tourists taking the sun and enjoying the huge range of restaurants on offer. If the idea of travelling around the world in 80 restaurants floats your boat then this is the perfect spot to drop anchor. A walk around this whitewashed marina takes scarcely longer than five minutes but just count the blackboards promoting cuisine from all over the globe: China, India, Japan, and Singapore, and a plethora of European ports of call too! It could be argued that La Duquesa lacks Spanish identity, with more English voices than yachts and more burgers than tapas. But step out either side of the port, where Spanish chiringuitos (and boatfuls of grilling

sardines in summer) fringe sandy beaches and you’ll be left in no doubt which country you’re in. This social meeting point sings through its restaurants, cafes and bars, the people who work in them and the visitors who sit in the sunshine enjoying them. This elegant enclave of turrets and towers, pretty plazas and steps leading to different levels jutts out from the mainland, encircling its attractions like an oyster encloses a pearl. Quirky and eclectic, it’s like a younger sister to Puerto Banus – less glam perhaps, but less snooty too; more affable and, importantly, very much more affordable. This sociable spirit is enhanced by the people who work here, who hail from all over the world and are woven into the ethnically diverse fabric of La Duquesa.

23 A special four-page pullout www.theolivepress.es

March 2020

we can do anything! A N equal world is an enabled world. This is the theme of International Women's Day 2020. On March 8 the spotlight turns to women throughout the world who are striving for gender parity in the workplace, in their businesses, in sports, in culture and arts, and in their communities. The movement started in

1911, so now in a new century and a new decade are we making a difference? At first glance, it’s easy to say yes. There’s something in the air that feels like real change. The #metoo and #timesup movements were a palpable moment where women were not only being heard, but their voices were powerful. They were calling out previously untouchable

Over a century after International Women’s Day first started, Karen Livermore asks, are things really any better in 2020?

media giants, companies, politicians and stars. Being male, rich and powerful was suddenly no longer a shield. Out of it has come a real effort to shift, not only

unpalatable men from their positions, but the views they represent, from public acceptance. Things that matter to and affect women, are finally

getting heard, and action is being taken. But there is still so far to go. We may be celebrating the downfall of Harvey Weinstein, and the shaming of Placido Domingo over his admission of sexually harassed women, but in Saudi Arabia women are still high fiving their right to own a passport without the consent of a male guardian. Gender violence against

women is still alarming. Last year was a dark 12 months in Spain with 55 women killed either by partners or ex partners. The highest figure since 2015. It's not the only country where these figures are rising. However, in a disturbing move the Vox party is lobbying for cuts in funding to combat genContinues overleaf

We needed to change the work culture Ana Botín, President of the Santander banking group

Women on the frontline in Spain Let’s raise a glass to celebrate International Women’s Day 2020 or, as we say in Spain, Día Internacional de la Mujer. Ten women in Spain from all walks of life share their views and inspirational stories

ot only was Ana Botín made an honorary N dame by Queen Elizabeth II for services to the Financial sector in 2015, she was also awarded

the first Award for Responsible Capitalism after taking the helm the year before. Ana, 59, is also a pioneer. The first woman to run a major European bank, she’s been ranked eigth on the Forbes’ list of World’s Most Powerful Women. Within her corporation, this financial whizz has made a point of boosting female direction, aiming for 30% of its CEOs to be women by 2025 (they currently account for 20%). Beyond 2025, the aim is technical equality, which means a 60%40% ratio, irrespective of gender. In an article she published on her LinkedIn page in response to a debate over her feminist credentials, she wrote, “I have spent years as an executive; years in which I have seen enough to know that in general women don’t get a fair deal… In a speech delivered to a room full of men in Bilbao in 2008, I talked about the importance of women acting with more confidence in ourselves and

that we needed to change the work culture and in doing so society if we wanted to see advances in the field of equality. “Since then these ideas have been reflected in the equal opportunity policies that we first pushed for in Banesto, then in Santander in the UK and more recently in the Santander group as a whole,” she continued. “In that speech I emphasised the benefits of diversity in the company. And with data from different studies, I explained that having more women in managerial positions, apart from being fair, was good for business. Besides talent, women bring skills to business that complement those of men – better interpersonal communication, cooperation, horizontal thinking and a capacity to really listen as well as more empathy and the ability to prioritise.” Botín has also introduced a life-work balance scheme because, ‘one of the keys to equal opportunities lies in domestic work.’ She said: “For men to increase their share of this responsibility, we need public policies that allow for greater flexibility in the workplace.” Ana is adamant there will be no discrepancy in salaries between male and female staff members taking on equal responsibility in a banking institution that is ranked 16th in the world. Forbes magazine also notes that Botín has a policy of ‘backing small companies and companies owned by women’.

March 2020

From previous page

Wearing purple with pride der violence and a repeal of laws that protect women. Thankfully the Spanish government is ignoring the calls from the far right party. So what does IWD mean to me? As I see it, it's not just about highly priced conferences lauding business women and telling them how to make more money. That's not the spirit of IWD. Work is only one part of who we are. Surely we should be joined in a common goal, not asking for special treatment, but equal treatment in every area of life. Supporting each other and celebrating women's achievements - large and small. No one should feel that if they aren’t Superwoman they aren’t worthy.

Belinda Beckett, freelance writer and Olive Press columnist Holly Haslam, Successful amateur golfer

Women have to work harder y goal is to be the best golf player in the “M world, but it will be difficult to get noticed when women’s golf tournaments are barely shown

on TV,” says Holly, who was recently crowned leading lady of Spain’s Gecko Tour. “International Women’s Day is definitely important to promote because women still have to work harder to promote themselves, to get looked at and for equal pay. “Men take the spotlight with sports on TV all week and have hundreds and thousands attending games, yet women may only get midnight coverage when no one is watching.” Although Holly says there is a lot to look forward to in her upcoming career, she adds: “Changes are happening but there is still a long way to go. “It doesn’t seem fair when the highest earning woman in golf is only 50th on the men’s highest earners list, especially when we are both playing the exact same sport.”

Celebrate

IWD is inclusive. It's about me, you, your mother, daughter, friend, niece, aunt. It's not just for high flyers. It's about the women who encourage other women in all areas of their lives. In the 1980s I worked in a high pressured, hard nosed news room of a national tabloid newspaper in London. The editor was a woman. She was tougher than the men - she had to be. It had been a hard climb to the top for her. She was firm but fair with her team and encouraged female reporters to thrive. She always had time to act as a mentor for all members of her team. Although she was clever, talented and deserved her role, behind her back, the men on the paper sneeringly called her ‘Gladys’ and plotted her downfall on a daily basis. In the end they won. But this feisty woman was not going to let the bastards grind her down, and she went on to create Women In Journalism, a group that provides mentoring, guidance and sponsorship for female journalists. She is still its Honorary President. So this International Women's Day, wear purple- the colour of the movement with pride. Let's celebrate us and what we have achieved and what we can continue to achieve. There’s still a lot to do. So who’s with me? Contact us at newsdesk@theolivepress.es

Show me a woman who doesn’t have balls! grew up in 1960s Britain when ‘women’s libbers’ were mocked “I as bra’burning lesbians who cultivated underarm hair and slept with a copy of Germaine Greer’s The Female Eunuch under their pillow. “Fortunately, journalism offered equal opportunities – female and male reporters alike were sent off to cover football, darts and dustmen’s strikes, although only the women were forced to brave barrages of blue ‘humour’ to get their story. We were expected to be ‘adult’ about wandering hands and ‘show us your tits’ quips but not considered grownup enough to open a bank account without our father’s or husband’s signature! “Thanks to the Sisterhood, we’ve moved on. Harvey Weinstein’s recent conviction is another giant step for womankind on the rocky road to equality and perfect timing for International Women’s Day. As for female eunuchs, there’s no such thing. Show me a woman who doesn’t have balls!”

Femke Eliza Utrecht, Head of Marketing, BinckBank part of Saxo Bank

Women don’t want to stand behind men inance is a male dominated industry, but times have chan“F ged and it’s a much more level playing field now. I have never felt any prejudice. BinckBank is very inclusive. Women have

the same opportunities as men here. My advice to young women wanting to get into finance is be confident and trust your abilities – women are great at investments. “Our predecessors fought for us and opened doors for us. I think as women we don’t always praise ourselves enough. There’s that saying behind every great man is a strong woman. Well, we don’t want to be strong women standing behind men. We don’t want to be strong women standing in front of men. We want to be strong women standing shoulder to shoulder with men.”

Joan Fallon, author

A man told me I would ‘ruin the place’ uccessful Malaga-based author Joan believes InterS national Women’s day is very important as women still have a long way to go, although the progress made

over the last 30 years has been ‘phenomenal’. She recalls taking up golf in the 70s when women were very restricted as to when they could play golf. After being voted onto the committee of her local course by the other women, she was told by an unhappy male member that she would ‘ruin the place’. On starting her career in writing, Joan was also told to use a male name or an initial as she was more likely to be published. Throughout her teaching career she also remembers ‘feeling all the time that I was fighting hard against the glass ceiling’ and latched onto these feelings in her writing, using strong female protagonists. Joan writes about 11th century Moorish history when women had many rights. She has seen first hand through interviews how different things were 900 years later in the late Franco era, with women needing male approval for many rights. “It was unbelievable how few rights women had then,” she says. Joan currently lives in Malaga with her dog Max and recently self-published her latest book, The Pirate.

Maura Hillen, illegal homes campaigner

Strong role models think it’s a good idea to celebrate anybody who’s working on “I behalf of their community, but I understand the need for International Women’s Day,” says the President of AUAN (Abusos

Urbanisticos Andalucia No). “I see myself as a leader, but it’s up to other people to decide if I’m inspirational. “There are a lot of women killed in Spain as a result of domestic violence, there’s a certain amount of machismo in the culture. “I think it’s decreasing, but it’s still an issue, and I have seen studies to suggest that young men view themselves as superior to women. “I grew up in a traditional society in Ireland and had strong female role models. “I wouldn’t necessarily classify myself as a femenist, but I am independent and I know my self worth, and would encourage every man, woman and child to do the same.”

What’s the history of IWD?

March 2020

International Women’s Day (IWD) has been observed since the early 1900’s - a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies.

1908

Gabriella Chidgey, self-employed businesswoman and hotelier

PIONEERING: New York suffragettes

1910 A second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen. A woman named Clara Zetkin (Leader of the ‘Women’s Office’ for the Social Democratic Party in Germany) tabled the idea of an International Women’s Day every year on the same day in every country.

My advice? Never give up

1911

“B

eing a woman and also foreign, and developing a wreck into a luxury boutique hotel in Ronda is not for the faint hearted. I first started developing Romantic Ronda, seven luxury holiday apartments and country houses, around 15 years ago. There have been frustrations and challenges along the way. The bureaucracy has been a major pain, but finding the right people to work with has been a steep learning curve. And would I have faced some of them as a man? I’m not sure. “It is still a fairly macho environment. I have worked through a number of technical architects, lawyers, gestors and builders until finally, 15 years after my initial building renovation, I have found people I can trust to keep me informed and get the job done and who work well with women. These were not men that cemented an agreement with a drink, or a social event. They were immediately direct and professional, and respected my viewpoint and what I wanted. Several years ago one constructor I worked with ignored me, threw my carefully drawn plans onto the floor of his car without even glancing at them and gave me design ultimatums that suited him. “At the time, he was the most successful builder in the region. I knew four women running hotel and farmhouse renovation projects with him, and none chose to use him again. “I don’t want special treatment as a woman, just to have my business acumen acknowledged and my viewpoint respected. It’s got so much better - at least contractors will deal with me now rather than asking when my husband will be back!”

Great unrest and critical debate was occurring among women. Women’s oppression and inequality was spurring women to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change. 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights.

LEADER: Clara Zetkin

International Women’s Day was honoured for the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on March 19. More than one million women and men attended IWD rallies campaigning for women’s rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination.

1913

1914

International Women’s Day was transferred to March 8 and this day has remained the global date ever since. In 1914 women across Europe held rallies to campaign against war and to express women’s solidarity. In London there was a march in support of women’s suffrage on March 8. Sylvia Pankhurst was arrested in front of Charing Cross station on her way to speak in Trafalgar Square.

1975 CUFFED: Pankhurst

International Women’s Day was celebrated for the first time by the United Nations. Then in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day of the year by Member States, in accordance with their historical and national traditions.

1996 The UN adopted an annual theme in 1996 - which was ‘Celebrating the past, Planning for the Future’. This theme was followed in 1997 with ‘Women at the Peace table’, and in 1999 with ‘World Free of Violence Against Women.’ POWER: UN backs IWD

Hannah Murray, Daybreak presenter on Talk Radio Europe (TRE) Breakfast show

I am celebrating kind, clever and passionate women

2001 The global internationalwomensday.com digital hub was launched to re-energize the day as an important platform to celebrate the successful achievements of women and to continue calls for accelerating gender parity. WEBSITE: For IWD

nternational Women’s Day 2020 is marking a call to action for “I accelerating gender equality. Yet, when I was asked to put some words together about being a ‘successful woman’ working in a creative

industry. Immediately, I was nervous about describing myself as ‘successful’. People can be very quick to criticise women (particularly) who ‘big themselves up’. Are we any closer to being able to acknowledge our strengths as well as our weaknesses without coming across as big headed? “As the International Women’s Day movement has grown stronger over the years, I’m sure it must have put a lot of unnecessary pressure on employers to ‘balance out’ the work place. My hope is that women are given jobs (and keep them) because they are the best person for that role, and not to feed the need for more females in that particular industry. I believe that at Talk Radio Europe we have a fair representation of both sexes on radio, who are all there because of their own talents. “This International Women’s Day I will take a moment to celebrate and acknowledge all the successful, kind, clever, and passionate women I know, and try and see myself in the same light without cringing!”

2000 By the new millennium, International Women’s Day activity around the world had stalled in many countries. The world had moved on and feminism wasn’t a popular topic. International Women’s Day needed re-ignition. There was urgent work to do - battles had not been won and gender parity had still not been achieved.

MARCHING: Annie Lennox in London

HELP: From Hillary

2011 Saw the 100 year centenary of International Women’s Day. Barack Obama proclaimed March 2011 to be ‘Women’s History Month’, calling Americans to mark IWD by reflecting on ‘the extraordinary accomplishments of women’. Hillary Clinton launched the ‘100 Women Initiative: Empowering Women and Girls through International Exchanges’. In the UK celebrity activist Annie Lennox led a march across one of London’s iconic bridges raising awareness in support for global charity Women for Women International.

2020 The world has witnessed a significant change in both women’s and society’s thoughts about women’s equality. Many from a younger generation may feel all the battles have been won, while many feminists from the 1970’s know only too well the ingrained complexity of patriarchy. With more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical mass of women’s visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that women have gained true equality. The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women’s education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men. We do have female astronauts and prime ministers, women can work and have a family, women have real choices.

March 2020

Joanne Oakley, Olive Press reporter

Cristina Hodgson, Olive Press writer

Still work to be done n equal world is an enabled world, I look to the future and belie“A ve that one day it will be. “In this equal world, I no longer have to tell my daughter to be careful

and not walk home alone. “I tell my daughter that she is free to dance and not to worry about attracting attention for smiling, for laughing and for loving. “I tell her that she can achieve anything she wants, that no-one will stop her. “I see a world where when a woman achieves a historic landmark, a scientific breakthrough, an outstanding achievement, it becomes news because the accomplishment is important for humanity, not just because it has been achieved by a woman. “I see a future where International Women’s Day is no longer celebrated, not because it is no longer important, rather because there is no longer a need. “A place that is no longer considered a man’s world, neither is it a woman’s world. It is a world that belongs to the human race and to every creature to inhabit it. Where equality is no longer a fight, but a reality. “But until then, International Women’s Day is fundamental in Spain and all over the world to highlight that there is still work that needs to be done.”

We only ask for equality “T

he fight continues in 2020 for a just and fair society where, as females, all we want is to be seen and treated as equals. “We should not have to shout that bit louder than our male counterparts to be heard; not have to confront employers, colleagues, strangers on the street whenever we are overlooked, devalued or cat-called; and not have to live in fear of getting a little bit drunk, wearing the wrong clothes or walking home at night because we may ‘tempt’ someone to take advantage, harass us or even worse. “In Spain, it may seem that we are a far cry from the violence and inequality experienced by women further afield. But there is still a culture of gender violence which is seen far too regularly in the news, with women too often dying at the hands of their partners. “When this is the case, here and across the world, with people still out there who want to suppress women in any environment, International Women’s Day is an essential collective response. It shows that as women we are all still fighting for ourselves and each other and that we are not asking for the world or even that much. All we ask is for EQUALITY.”

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Manilva, Sabinillas and Puerto de la Duquesa

March 2020

Taking care of business

TRUSTWORTHY: Gabi Recio

HERE is not much economist Gabi Recio Madrona does not know about Manilva. And when it comes to numbers… his family have been taking care of business here for most of the last century. He and his team at Recio & Madrona have many expat clients, providing everything from tax and accounting advice to vehicle transfers, property registry, wills and inheritance.

After training in Economics at Malaga University, he became a tax consultant in 1995 before expanding into administration management in 2013. He often enlists the services of his cousin, Juana, who has been a lawyer since 1997, as well as other trained accountants and asesores. “We are known for being trustworthy and professional locally and can more than take care of your business,” insists Gabi.

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NOW YOU DON’T SEE IT: Now you do... how the popular resort of Sabinillas has expanded in just a few decades

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LEADING THE PACK: Ex British Prime Minister Ted Heath (left) enjoys a flamenco show on the terrace of Venta Madrono (right)

Bases covered

WHEN Charlotte Levy met Sandra Marin, the pair immediately hit it off. While coming from different walks of life - Sandra, 38, is from the Ronda mountains, Charlotte, 23, from affluent lowland Essex - they share a similar world view and get on like a house on fire.

The pair, who both have degrees in business, run a real estate and accountancy firm in the heart of Sabinillas. Called Le Vack & Marin, the company typifies the rapid changes taking place in the Costa del Sol’s fastest-growing resort. The business offers everything

Perfect support Bravura is a new shop specialising in lingerie, from D to K cup bras and swimsuits. It also stocks Freya, Fantasie, Elomi, Hugo Boss and Yankee Candles. Visit the shop at Calle Bolivia, Local 22, in Sabinillas or visit the website www.bravuras.es

from property sales and rentals to advice for foreigners, help in dealing with inheritance tax and undertaking annual and quarterly tax returns. The pair originally met, while Sandra was working for Charlotte’s father Robin as an accountant in nearby Estepona. A long-time property developer in the UK and Spain, he has built dozens of homes on the Costa del Sol and spends much of the year here. “We are all very excited about the changes in Manilva and how quickly things are picking up,” explains Charlotte, who spent five years at school in the town. “We are already building a series of new properties here, which will be available soon.” Sandra continues: “On top of that we are offering to sell homes at just 4% commission and I have been working as an accountant and advisor since 2005 so we have a lot of experience of helping expats here.”

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Manilva, Sabinillas and Puerto de la Duquesa

29 March 2020

Landmark venta Venta Madrono has been a stopping off point for centuries

OR decades it was the stop off for artists, politicians and celebrities. So, it was something of a tragedy when Venta Madrona was knocked down due to the construction of an underpass through Sabinillas decades ago. One of the main stop-offs for travellers between Gibraltar and Malaga for centuries, the historic restaurant was always full and served up an excellent range of dishes. “We had an amazing range of visitors, including Frank Sinatra, Ted Heath and former Prime Minister Adolfo Suarez,” recalls the son of the former owner. Now running his own wine and lottery shop, La Mar de Vinos, at the same spot, Jose Antonio Madrona recalls the frequent visits from famous flamenco stars like Valerin and Camaron, Spain’s most famous flamenco star. “He was often here as he was a friend of my uncle. He stayed the night and frequently sang. I remember even dancing for him as a child.” The venta, which was built in 1929, also counted on the founder of Andalucian nationalism Blas Infante as a regular. “He had plenty of meetings here in the run up to the civil war,” added Jose, who studied history at Malaga University, before studying viticulture. The shop - which has almost 1000 references to wines - sits right next to the roundabout and is very much one of the main hubs of the community - like Venta Madrona before it. It was once a key lunch stop on the coast…now it is a wine and lottery shop As well as a fantastic selection of Spanish wines, from

BLASTS FROM THE PASTS: Manilva in the 1960s and 1970s

around the whole country, there is a good mix of champagnes and sherries. In addition, the shop stocks a great array of delicacies, including pates, cheeses and sauces… and, of course, the coast’s favourite English newspaper, the Olive Press! Visit La Mar de Vinos at Calle Bolivia, 1, Sabinillas

30 March 2020

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End of

the line

Manilva, Sabinillas and Puerto de la Duquesa

There is more than just good fish restaurants in the seaside resort of Manilva, writes Jon Clarke

EING the definitive wife in the kitchen have never Wild West of the Costa rested on their laurels. del Sol, you definite- Indeed, the pair have been ly take your chances serving an excellent mix of inwhen it comes to eating in ternational dishes for nearly Manilva... Believe me, I’ve two decades, since they arhad some shockers! rived in Spain, via Italy, from But thankfully among the Argentina. dross are a dozen or so excel- Expect to eat delicious lent spots to eat fine food, if prawns, tender rabo de toro you know where to go. and succulent steaks, and reOne of the true chestnuts - at member to book, particularly least if you are after seafood at weekends when it gets in- is Ramos restaurant, which credibly popular. set up in pole position on Sa- Another good place nearby is binillas sea front in 1962. Miel, run by friendly Belgian Run by brothers Manuel and Kaat Buelens, who for many Juan Antonio years played a for over two dekey role at the cades (one front emblematic Her beach of house, one in but now shut the kitchen), it Roman Oaspot though is has the perfect sis in nearby very much an location with Casares every stunning views institution with summer. up and down Her beach high standards spot though the coast. It is famous for is very much its ‘espeto’ (left) an institution skewered sardines cooked with high standards for breakon a boat outside, as well as fast and lunch and is very ofany other fish you fancy and ten full. it’s not only good value, but Other nearby spots to eat inits staff are incredibly friend- clude legendary long-standly. ing pup O’Callaghan’s, run Just around the corner sits by friendly expat Rob and his another institution, La Casita, where Gabriel and his

HATS OFF: To team at La Casita and (below) Kinsale’s view

dad, as well as McGuiness Irish pub and Bella Italia, which does exactly what you would expect. A few other good fish restau-

BROTHERS GRIN: Manuel and Jose at Ramos

rants worth taking a look at include Bar Playa and Restaurante Marymar, which is something of an institution here. Another exciting new addition to the food scene here is Susi’s gastro tapas joint, while Florita is the new dawn of legendary Floria restaurant, which got washed away in floods a few years ago. Beccy’s is a top spot for a ‘banging breakfast’, as well as a mean Sunday Roast, while Lo de Andres is the place for hanging out and meeting pals in the heart of town. Finally don’t forget Cafe Nenit, where Jose and his team serve breakfasts and pastries from early morning, tapas for lunch and bar snacks into the evening. And over the road, if you love chicken, you will be (and I mean this) amazed at how good the poultry is at Las Brasas. While winning no beauty prizes sitting on a roundabout with no views apart from the N-340, it nonetheless draws in punters - and hundreds of them on busy days - from many miles around for possible the best chicken on the Costa del Sol. Heading up the coast to the port of Duquesa, I rarely venture past Kinsale and it doesn’t matter when or at what time, as this institution has been serving good-value food for decades and for an amazing 365 days a year! “And we stay open late, often very late,” explains manager Tom McNeil, 25, from Berwick-on-Tweed. “Put it this way I often bump into the cleaners coming in when I am locking up for the night.” A bar/bistro it has an excellent range of dishes, and always some superb specials including great homemade pies, as well as paella. Service is always fast and efficient and you won’t miss a game of football or rugby with

31 March 2020

MOUNTAIN ESCAPE: Sarmiento

around a dozen big screens. thing from his father. You might also want to check Last, but not least, if you are out The Quays Irish bar looking for something amazand tapas, which is a good ing inland, head inland past place for breakfast or lunch Manilva to the neighbouring in pole position. village of Casares. In Duquesa you have a war- You cannot fail to be blown ren of other good places to away with Sarmiento, which eat including the decent La sits above the most photoTaberna 2, as well as Cap- graphed white town in Andaitanos and Parapiros, two lucia, with views AND food to of the longest-running Italian match. restaurants on Run by capable the coast. brothers Juan For Manilva’s and Miguel this The restaurant best fish and is one of the is ‘based on the true Dining Sechips you need to head up the of Andaessential pillars crets road a little lucia. to track down of the Andalucian Its chefs have Marlows, on worked at lifestyle’ the main road, some of the which first plied world’s top its trade in Gichains and braltar in the 1960s. the food is always deliciously A true institution, owner fresh and tasty. Steve Marlow, has run restau- The restaurant is ‘based on rants around the world and the essential pillars of the Anis a classically trained chef, dalucian lifestyle: authenticiwith a good knowledge of the ty, spontaneity and the enjoybusiness, having learnt every- ment of friends and family’.

Quay to eating well IF you’re looking for a taste of home but with a Spanish twist, then look no further than Quays Irish bar in Puerto de la Duquesa. Quays describes itself as tapas with a twist, serving Irish food the Spanish way. Because of the fact that they serve both Irish tapas but also traditional Spanish food, Quays is an environment welcome to people of all nationalities, tailored for all, with an Irish atmosphere. They pride themselves for having fresh food every day and for being family and pet friendly. Rated 4.5 stars on Tripadvisor, Quays caters to all your needs, be it breakfast, lunch, dinner or even afternoon tea. Once a week you can also dance the evening away with live music.

tel: 952 89 21 73

LA CASITA

BA R R E S TAU R A NT Serving lunch and dinner

International style USA - Spain - Italy - Argentina OPEN: 11.00 - 00.00 Closed Monday Calle Fernado Pessoa, Local 2, San Luis De Sabinillas, Andalucia, Spain

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL Rock bottom 33

March 4th - March 17th 2020

By James Warren

SPAIN’S Government has responded to the agricultural crisis, but insists it is facing an uphill struggle. Thousands of angry farmers across Andalucia and the rest of the country have pushed the issue to the forefront in recent weeks. Those in the agricultural sector have taken to the streets in passionate protests against the continued

Sanchez reaches out to angry farmers as agricultural crisis reaches boiling point

struggle they face to stay afloat. Their fury over rock bottom olive and orange prices has proved a headache to government leaders who in turn face pressure from the European board. In an attempt to prove that the

Step aside sangria

A SPANISH startup has developed a beverage that’s distilled with cannabis. The newly created startup 420 Neo Drinks launched a blue drink based on cane rum infused and flavoured with cannabis. Founders of the company Juan Manuel Caro, Pablo Saura and Raúl Calvo, claim that the idea arose when they saw the great increase that is taking place in the world of cannabis-related products. Saura said: “We wanted a drink to get away from the negative concept that this substance has had until now. The tipple is 37.5% ABV. A 700ml bottle is available for €25 on Amazon.

HELPING HAND: Sanchez (inset) to help farmers

farmers’ voices are being heard, Agriculture Minister Luis Planas issued a statement to update the country on what steps are being taken to ensure that the issue does not continue. The coalition government’s first step is to reform the current Food Chain Law by raising prices ‘at the gate’ and helping manufacturers cover costs of production and staff wages. “The reform will allow agricultural and livestock producers to have a stronger negotiating position, and create greater balance in the food chain,” said Planas. However, the government cannot regulate prices by law, therefore it must only

strongly suggest measures and hope that companies take them onboard. Spanish farmers have been holding nationwide protests in the past few weeks in response to low prices, the threat of fewer subsidies from the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and the announced minimum-wage hike. Government officials, including Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, have been heavily negotiating in Brussels this week to fight against the proposed reduction in funding from the CAP. As part of the government’s 2021 to 2027 budget, the CAP will see cuts of up to 14%, putting farmers’ subsidies at risk.

March 4th - March 17th 2020

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

Lifting the Val It’s been dubbed ‘the world’s best ski resort’ and ‘gee, even bigger than Vail’... Jon Clarke (right) takes a trip to Baqueira and the Val d’Aran and finds a lot more than just snow-plough fun

E’RE at the top of Baciver ski lift, some 2,610m high in the Pyre-

phone, is my wife having an entirely different day out. While also enjoying the mountains, her relationship with the snow is visual, not tactile, as she hikes just below the snow-line with a friend and a packed lunch at the ready. Not a fan of skiing? No worries, Baqueira Beret is part of Spain’s wonderful Val d’Aran, a totally independent fiefdom of fun and festivities, where there’s more to do than you can shake a ski-pole at. The Pyrenees only East-West facing valley, this impressive mountain redoubt counts 33 towns and villages and even has its own language. Some 3000 local souls speak Aranese, but don’t worry they also speak plenty of English, along-

side the obligatory Catalan ers and sisters, nephews and Spanish. and nieces, explains the reWhat’s more of relevance sort’s marketing chief Pep. to the traveller though is “The Bourbon family were nees. the rich local given the villa There’s a light dusting of culture... and, in 1984 by repowder snow and the kids particularly, the sort chiefs and Where the are itching to go. food. only they can We’re in Baqueira, southern The region’s use it,” he exKing of Spain Europe’s largest ski station, architecture plains. counting 161km of runs over is distinct and chooses to hone The former disfour distinct areas and six the local au- his turns, minus graced PP party soaring peaks. thorities (the treasurer Luis his wife Letizia Barcenas also Some 1,000 metres beAranese have low, at the end of a mobile their own govcoincidentally ernment, it has a villa here. turns out) have done well “But we try to keep that quito maintain the integrity of et,” adds Pep. their villages, which could Described by the Daily Telehave been ruined by modern graph as the ‘perfect ski blocks a la many European resort’ and by the Financial ski resorts. Times as ‘Spain’s true seBut then this is where the cret’, there really is someKing of Spain chooses to thing incedible charming hone his turns, minus his about Baqueira. wife Letizia, who - like mine Local American business- is not a fan of the winter man/writer/estate agent sport. Keith Kirwen arrived as a He has a splendid villa, ap- snowboarder two decades propriately just above the ago and totally agrees. main lift up, and pops up a “I found this small paradise few times during the season by accident and couldn’t bewith friends, as do his broth- lieve it was bigger than Vail, Colorado,” he reveals. Coming from an American, that is something. But the statistics are certainly impressive, even when compared to the best US resorts and those in France or Switzerland. The ski area extends from 1,500m to 2,610m and counts 99 runs and 35 lifts. Opened in the 1960s, it has 161km of marked pistes, seven kilometres of marked off-piste runs and seven kilometres of cross-country runs. It’s laid out in four separate areas; Baqueira, Beret, Boniagua and the recently-opened Baciver, which has created half a dozen new pistes. Due to its north facing aspect and close proximity to the Atlantic, it has some SCENIC: Typical Val d’Aran village and (above) Jon’s kids get set to ski of the best snow in Europe

and, should the snow gods French resistence smuggled not shine, there are 50 20,000 Jews through the snow cannons to help things high mountain passes to along. safety here and en route to We certainly found plenty to Portugal. entertain us; the snow park You really get a feel for this, for the kids with its myriad heading up into the Rio of jumps, being a highlight, Verde mountain pass above as well as the wonderful Eth the wonderful medieval vilCoret run that snaked its way lage of Bagergue, which at through a pine forest. 1419m is the highest in the Classes were easy to arrange valley. through the Era Escola, who This is part of the celebratprovided the wonderful Aly- ed (Grand Route) GR211 cia for the kids, while I even footpath and is a lovely tried a couple of advanced walk, often below the snowsessions with local lad Fran- line, where you should spot cis, who took us off piste eagles, vultures and even, and even taught us a bit of if lucky, one of the brown Aranese. bears reintroduced a few But the key to a successful years back (don’t forget, they family holiday are the nearby hibernate). mountain villages, that each Best of all, when you get offer a cornucoback to the pia of churches village - voted and museums among Spain’s Should the to visit, as well most beautiful snow gods not - there is an inas numerous local restauteresting arteshine, there rants. san museum, a The history of cheese factory are 50 snow the area is fasand shop, and cannons cinating, being four superb a key mountain restaurants, pass used by each with its Repulicans to escape during own specialities. the Spanish Civil War as Other villages of note are well as a later base for the Salardu and Arties, which Maquis (the guerillas who has a river running through continued to fight on against it and a stunning church, Franco well into the 1950s). plus the famous Urtau tapas During World War II, the joint, where punters queue

Let the train take the strain One of the real joys of getting to the Val d’Aran was the train. The high-velocity AVE takes just over four hours to get from Malaga to Lleida, thanks to a recent spur opened around Madrid to the East. The scenery is wonderful as you head through the Sierra Morena, where we spotted deer and wild boar, and later the Zaragoza desert, where we spied fields of saffron and wide expanses of cherry and almond blossom. In Lleida we hired a car for the two-hour drive up to the slopes, which is a wonderful drive into the Pyrenees foothills and made an hour quicker since the five kilometre Vielha tunnel was finished in 2007. Another alternative is to fly to Toulouse, and hire a car, or to drive, which takes around 12 hours.

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

March 4th - March 17th 2020

VARIETY: Local highlights include Arties village. churches, cheese and artisan products

Where to stay

outside before a 7pm opening time and it’s elbow-room at the bar from 7.30pm. The capital of the region is Vielha, a bustling town, with plenty to write home about. Take a stroll around keeping an eye out for the San Miqeue church, which is a 600-year-old gothic gem, known for its 12th century bust of a very haggard-looking Jesus. Take my advice, hire a car and have a really good poke around the valley when you fancy a break from the snow... you never know you might even decide to pop across into France, with Fos, some 25 minutes away! For more information visit www.visitvaldaran.com or www.baqueira.es

For classic village charm stay in Hotel Seixes in Bagergue, the highest village in the Val d’Aran. This great value hotel (left) has wonderful views and best of all has four excellent restaurants within a two minute walk. www.hotelseixes.com For five star luxury, it’s hard to beat Hotel Pleta, which sits at 1700m and counts on its own pool, spa and gourmet restaurant. There is a separate cigar room, a shuttle to the ski lift and easily one of the best breakfasts I have ever eaten. www.lapleta.com Looking for a villa or apartment, the best local company is Feel Free Rentals, which has hundreds to rent from isolated farmhouses to centrally located in the heart of Baqueira. www.feelfreerentals.com.

Buy AND cash in

Looking to enjoy skiing holidays in Spain’s top resort AND make money from an investment there? Specialist real estate company Feel Free has decades working with owners in Baqueira, who both use their properties, as well as rent them out for many weeks during the year. The holiday rental company, based in San Sebastian and the Val d’Aran, locates, manages and rents hundreds of villas and apartments across the two key areas. “We are experts in these types of projects and many of our owners are foreigners, as we speak all the main languages, English in particular,” explains CEO Roberto Jimenez. they have a big range of new-build projects for sale, as well as quite a number of off-plan schemes. Visit www.feelfreerentals.com or call (+34) 943 56 36 54

Where to eat

The real beauty of Baqueira is its proximity to the Val d’Aran and its collection of excellent eateries. Every village has a good choice. Take Bagergue, whose 107 local residents are spoilt with four. The cuisine is a good mix of Spanish and French, plus a few local chestnuts, such as an Olla Aranese, a lovely rich bean and pork stew that warms the cockles after a hard day on the slopes. The cheeses are excellent, as are the lamb chops and steaks. I particularly liked the trio of places I tried in Bagergue, each quite different in style and flavour. At Casa Rosa, I loved the cheese plate as a starter, while the pate and tortilla espanola was delicious. Jardi dels Pomers has a charming garden for spring and summer, while in winter a big log-burner to aid the ambience. Here, definitely have the beef consome, as well as the cep mushroom-filled ravioli with truffles. Meanwhile, Unhola is Basque and you appropriately sit under a large

SERVICE: At Casa Rosa copy of Picasso’s Guernica, chowing down on some excellent crab and wild mushroom crepes, cabone, plus an intriguing wild seabass burger. I would also recommend a trip to Urtau, in Arties, but get there early as you cannot book, if sitting down is essential. If not, you can perch at various tables or at the bar and graze on the dozens of creative tapas, that are remi-

niscent of San Sebastian at its best, if not quite up there for quality. The Vinoteca Eth Cerer, in Unha, is a long-standing favourite for the apres-ski crowd and it is certainly a well-oiled machine, with two great-value set menus (€15 or €18 a head) and a good wine list. Make sure to get there early to have a poke around the village.

March 4th - March 17th 2020

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Helle Hollis Home Owners´ Club is a big success with over 15,000 members taking advantage of the many club benefits. The club is aiming at the holiday home owners on the Costa del Sol and permanent residents who have visits from friends and family who need car rental. As a member you get lots of benefits. E.g. 15% discount on the car hire and free “Fast Lane Service” for both the member and friends who rent with the member’s club number. In addition, you get two extra drivers for free. Finally, members of the club save a 10% bonus discount for next year’s car rental and a lot more. It´s free and easy to sign up for a membership online. “You will now get even more benefits from the membership. We are introducing “Helle Hollis Ambassador” and “Ambassador Gold” status,” says Managing Director Hans Hugo From. “As a club member you are more than welcome to let your friends and family use your club number. They will also get a 15% discount on the car rental. Each time your club number is used, you save a 10% bonus discount for the following year. This bonus can be used for the payment of car rental, insurance and extras or for the payment of indoor parking of your private car”, continues Hans Hugo. “We are always delighted when customers recommend us to friends and family, and as a new initiative you can now become Helle Hollis Ambassador or Helle Hollis Ambassador Gold member. It happens automatically when one’s friends and family have generated bonus discount for respectively 250 or 500 euros during a calendar year. As Helle Hollis Ambassador, you get the night service fee free for a full calendar year, and with Gold status you get our night service fee free for two calendar years as well as two years to use your bonus discount. “The new initiative comes as one of the results of a comprehensive customer satisfaction survey that we conducted amongst our members last year. The survey showed us that members are generally happy with the club, but also that many would like to avoid the 20 euros night service fee - which is actually one of the lowest in the market. With this new initiative, we would like to reward those members who most actively recommend us to friends and family. Helle Hollis´s Head office at Malaga Airport is open 24 hours 7 days a week, which is very convenient for the midnight flight arrivals and the early morning return flights to your home destination. During the high season, Helle Hollis has a fleet of 1500 new cars and 49 employees. The fleet is constantly renewed. For example, the new VW T-Cross SUV has just arrived in both manual and automatic transmission to the fleet. “At Helle Hollis we have transparent pricing and no hidden extras. Our multilingual staff is very service-minded and our aim it that you always get a good and stressfree start to your holidays,” concludes Hans Hugo. Read more about Home Owners’ Club and its benefits at www.hellehollis.com

March 4th - March 17th 2020

ALL tax residents in Spain who hold over €50,000 in assets abroad need to complete this tax return before the end of the March 2020 deadline. Over 5,000 taxpayers had already been (heavily) fined by the end of 2018 on failing to disclose they held substantial assets abroad. We stress the fines for non-compliance are the steepest we’ve ever seen. In fact, so much so, they have been challenged at Brussels. The infamous modelo 720, despite being the object of heated controversy, remains very much an active tax obligation with which taxpayers must contend with. If you fall within its scope, I strongly advise you to comply or else face the risk of stiff fines. It should be stated this tax form is only for reporting purposes; you do NOT pay any tax on submitting it. Resident taxpayers already pay income tax on submitting their annual I.R.P.F. tax returns once a year. Brexit and the new wave of British residents in Spain Unless you have been living under a rock for the previous four years, you will know the UK vowed to leave the EU by the 31/01/2020. As a consequence, thousands of non-registered expats (who were effectively living in Spain under the radar, whether purposely or not) have now stepped forward into the limelight and rushed to apply for Spanish residency over the last year.

Oblivious

PROPERTY Making sense

Lawyer Raymundo Larraín reminds us of the tax obligation to submit tax form 720 (Modelo 720, in Spanish) over the next weeks, if you qualify, to avoid facing ‘humongous’ fines this tax return; it is only for residents. Who is considered tax resident in Spain? The Spanish Tax Office applies amongst many others - the following broad criteria: • You spend more than 183 days within a calendar year in Spanish territory. • Your centre of financial interests is located in Spain. • Your spouse and/or underage children live in Spain. Reporting categories There are three reporting categories: bank accounts, investments and immovable property.

Applying for Spanish residency is a self-admission that you are in fact tax resident in Spain; the residency procedure is monitored continuously by the authorities to ensure you retain your resident status (i.e. so they can turn down renewals when the applicant no longer complies with the residency requirements). As scores of new residents will be entirely oblivious of their new tax obligations, i.e. submitting tax return 720, it has prompted me to write this short article to shed some light on the matter and act as a gentle reminder on their newly-acquired tax obligations with the taxman.

Obligation to report You must report all assets in a particular category if the value of your total assets within it exceeds €50,000. 2020 tax submission period from January 1 until the March 31 2020.

Who needs to declare? All Spanish tax residents who own assets overseas on or over €50,000. E.g. Mr. and Mrs. Smith live all year round in Mijas Costa, Spain. They own two houses in Berwickshire, England, have open bank accounts in the UK and receive UK-based pensions. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are in fact tax resident in Spain and they both need to submit tax form 720. Again, and for the avoidance of doubt, if you are non-resident in Spain you do NOT need to submit

Penalties for non-compliance The disproportionate fines levied are (very) stiff. • Failing to file 720 or filing it incorrectly: €5,000 per infraction. • Minimum fine of €10,000 for each group of assets. • Penalty of 150% on unpaid income tax.

Can I file it after the submission period? Yes, but hefty penalties apply. Ask us. If you have already filed tax form 720 in the past You only need to file it again if: • The value of an existing asset grew by more than €20,000, or • You sold an asset, or • You obtained a new asset.

The Common Reporting Standard Please take good note that with the advent of the Common Reporting Standard (CRS), signed by over 100 countries to combat tax evasion, as from January 1 2018, the Spanish

Larraín Nesbitt Lawyers is a law firm specialized in conveyancing, taxation, inheritance and litigation. You can contact us by e-mail at info@larrainnesbitt.com, or at (+34) 952 19 22 88.

Tax Office is being spoon-fed fiscal information by your home tax office. For example, both HM Revenue & Customs and Ireland’s Revenue Commissioners are busy supplying the Spanish Tax Office with detailed information (and vice versa) on all your overseas assets and reported income derived abroad as from January 1 2018. In plain English, your home country’s tax office will likely have already informed the Spanish Tax Office of the assets you hold abroad. It is in your best interests to be pro-active and come clean before you are served with a legal notice imposing humongous fines on you; as it’s happened already to over 6,000 unsuspecting taxpayers. The tax office likes waiting till the last moment before imposing fines to rake in as much interests as is legally admissible before the statute of limitations kicks in. Fines on non-compliance start at five figures and often are six-figures, or higher. The last word We strongly advise you to submit tax form 720 if you are (tax) resident in Spain to avoid steep penalties. If you plan to submit it, please contact us well ahead of the submission deadline (March 31 2020) as it takes days to prepare and process. If you are unsure if you qualify for it, just give us a buzz and one of our friendly staff will answer your queries to allay your fears. Larraín Nesbitt Lawyers offers the following competitively-priced taxation service: Tax form 720 Larraín Nesbitt Lawyers, small on fees, big on service. Larraín Nesbitt Lawyers is a law firm specialized in taxation, conveyancing, inheritance, and litigation. We will be very pleased to discuss your matter with you. You can contact us by e-mail at info@larrainnesbitt.com, by telephone on (+34) 951 894 675 or by completing our contact form to book an appointment.

Please note the information provided in this article is of general interest only and is not to be construed or intended as substitute for professional legal advice. This article may be posted freely in websites or other social media so long as the author is duly credited. Plagiarizing, whether in whole or in part, this article without crediting the author may result in criminal prosecution. Voluntas omnia vincit. 2.018, 2.019 and 2.020 © Raymundo Larraín Nesbitt. All Rights Reserved

Visit www.larrainnesbittabogados.com for more information

Constructively eco-friendly SPAIN has shot into the worldwide top ten of countries with the most sustainable buildings. This is the result of a change in mindset over the importance of energy efficiency and sustainability in the real estate industry. As 28% of CO2 emissions are produced by buildings, action to reduce this is essential to comply with environmental requirements.

PROPERTY Budget buys THE Andalucian Government has started to build 700 homes with affordable rents for families on low incomes. This new scheme is intended to help

families with an annual income of between €9,000 and €26,000 with rents between €175 and €325 per month. Up to 4,000 homes will be built by 2024 under this promotion to combat rises in rental prices around the region and to facilitate access to housing, especially for young people.

Impact

Torralba added that, ‘sustainability is no longer an option, but an obligation.’ These sustainable developments are not only better for the environment, but are also good for both tenants and the property as the energy saving in a Breeam-certified property is between 30% and 70% and the reduction of water expenditure is approximately 40%. The evolution towards this greener industry can be seen through the growth of the certification platforms that rate the impact of buildings on the ecosystem, such as Leed and Well.

The construction of 722 of these houses is already underway, with an average of 700 per year planned. The houses will be classified as ‘rent-protected’ at an affordable cost for 25 years. All of the homes will have a maximum size of 70 square metres and three bedrooms each.

Malaga province will be home to the majority of the affordable properties with 502 to be built. Cadiz has 71 homes planned, Granada is to house 45 with more due to be built throughout Sevilla, Huelva and Almeria. The cost of these initial homes will be around €21 million.

British Boom

Obligation

“Europe is leading the battle for sustainability,” says Javier Torralba, director of Breeam, a sustainable certification platform in Spain which has just elevated Spain to sixth in the world rankings. This method of evaluation and certification did not land in Spain until 2010. Breeam certification initially focused on housing and didn’t really kick off until 2014 but since then, the increase in certification has grown exponentially across different types of real estate.

March 4th - March 17th 2020

THE number of British buyers in Spain has more than doubled in a year - at least according to one big homebuilder. Taylor Wimpey España has reported a staggering 125% increase in UK nationals buying homes in Spain, as uncertainty around Brexit has finally forced people into action. Brits were the top buyers over the months of December and January, accelerating strongly following the mid-December general election. Andalucia meanwhile, was the most popular region registering 19.55% of total sales, according to the official Colegio de Registradores. The second most popular region was Catalunya coming second at 16.41%, while sales are also up for British buyers in Alicante and Mallorca. The Costa del Sol is the most popular area, with almost all British buyers during that period choosing the coast as their favourite place to buy. “The British love of the Costa del Sol dates back decades,” explained Taylor Wimpey España Sales Director, Marc

Not harassed

A COMMUNITY management company has rejected claims by a British mother that it sustained a campaign of harassment in a bid to force her out of her property. Briton Victoria Jenkins claimed Cymagest S.L. had cut off her water and repeatedly barred her and her son from entering the community pool in August last year. Jenkins also suggested that the president of the community wanted to remove her from the property so they could buy it themselves and rent it out. Cymagest has now told the Olive Press that the claims made against the firm are ‘completely false’. "The claims made against Cymagest are untrue," insisted a spokesman for the Costa del Sol based company. "At no time has there been any harassment from Cymagest towards Mrs. Jenkins or John Ewin" The Olive press apologises to Cymagest for what has been published and admits it should have done better in its pursuit of a comment from the firm.

With the uncertainty of Brexit over, British buyers are forced into action to beat the transition period deadline Pritchard. “While the drawn-out Brexit process caused many buyers to pause, they are now pushing ahead with their plans and buying Spanish second homes at an impressive pace. “With a range of styles and price points available, the Costa del Sol is perfectly positioned to meet varying needs as sales pick up speed, during 2020. “It’s that time of year when many British families are planning and looking forward to their summer holidays. “For those buying a holiday home, it’s an incredibly exciting time, with some superb locations offering sun, sand and sporting facilities to suit every taste and budget.”

March 4th - March 17th 2020

Holy heist THE Spanish Catholic Church earned a record €284 million from taxpayers last year, figures show. Some 7.1m people opted to make a contribution on their tax returns, 26,885 more than 2018. The amount earned was a 6.2% increase on the year before and the highest since the tax system was introduced in 2007. The system allows Catholic taxpayers to tick a box which donates 0.7% of their personal income tax (IRPF) to the religious body, at no extra cost. The percentage was previously set at 0.5%.

BUSINESS

American dream

RENFE has been awarded a giant €5.56 billion contract to operate a high-speed AVE railway line in the US. The Spanish state-owned company will run the line between Dallas and Houston in Texas in what is the biggest ever contract won by a state company outside Spain. According to Cinco Dias, the deal will be signed with Texas Central Partners, which is looking into extending the line between Austin and San Antonio. Renfe will not be involved in the construction nor provide the trains for the project, which will create some 11,500 jobs in total. The line will transport travellers between Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth (386km) in less than 90 minutes.

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AIRBUS employees have rejected the company’s plans to cut more than 600 jobs in Spain. A series of walkouts are being planned, while bosses of the aerospace giant have called for unions to attend talks set for this week. Proposals include axing 630 jobs across Madrid, Andalucia and Castille, while Airbus has planned 2,362 job losses across Europe by 2021.

Staff up in arms as Airbus slashes hundreds of jobs

losses in Spain by department. It has urged unions to enter negotiations, a proposal that the unions have ‘unanimously’ rejected, according to the UGT union. will not negotiate Demonstrations Unions this adjustment until the The European manu- end of July, when the lefacturer has not broken gal period of the consultadown the number of job tion ends. However, they have said that they do not accept the proposed dismissals because they have not been justified by the company. DO women make better investments Airbus employs than men? about 12,600 staff A Dutch bank based on the Costa del in Spain, of which Sol is aiming to find out. 7,560 work in the BinckBank, based in Marbella, is pitarea of Defence ting Olive Press columnist Giles Brown against radio DJ Hannah Murray in the and Space. Boys v Girls investment battle. According to the The pair will compare their gains and plan, 829 jobs will losses every fortnight, during a radio be lost in Germashow on TRE. ny, 357 in the UK, The competition will run for five 404 in France and months and at the end of it the winner 142 in other counwill receive €1,000 from the bank for tries. A number of their chosen charity. demonstrations Giles will be ‘fighting’ for DEBRA Butare set to be called terfly Children Charity and Hannah for in the week before Age Concern. Easter. No further specifications have been given but it is thought that the plan will affect 332 direct jobs, workshop operators mostly, and 298 indirect jobs.

Let the games begin!

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March 4th - March 17th 2020

Property

YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED BY ANTONIO FLORES

Not a personal piggy bank! Lawbird’s Antonio Flores reveals the ‘must-knows’ for Spanish S.L. company owners SETTING up a Spanish Limited Company is a relatively straightforward process. In fact, many investors who are looking to start a business will immediately think of what is colloquially known as ‘SL company’, formed via a notarial deed of company incorporation. And for many too, that’s about as knowledgeable as they get with these types of business structures. Below is a list of ‘must knows’ for any SL owner or director: SLs are not devised for one-man bands: The Spanish Hacienda, whilst accepting that an SL is a legitimate form of conducting business, will not accept those that lack an infrastructure to carry out the commercial or professional activity - whether human or material resources (staff, office etc.) - e.g. people who work from home. These companies are described as ‘dummy’ or ‘shell’ companies and operating through them could be challenged by the Tax Office. This is the case too with services where the company could not exist without the founder: think of medical doctors, dentists, singers, elite sportsmen and women etc. SLs cannot be ‘closed down’: I typically hear people talk about closing a company

down when debts become insurmountable. A company can only be closed if there are no debts. If there are, the director is obliged to file for bankruptcy within two months after it becomes insolvent, at the courts. High vs low share capital: Unless you are looking to show financial credibility with your potential clients or lenders, shareholders and directors should go for a lower share capital; the lower this figure is the less they will be personally responsible for. But this has downsides too: if a company has a net worth below 50% of the share capital, it is technically insolvent, being a legal ground for forcible wind up. An SL is not a personal piggy bank: Company money and personal money are separate, no matter how much we try to try to stretch it; logic and common sense must prevail here. Here are some tips of what is deductible and what not: shopping list (if consumed by the business), clothes (only if they have a logo or anagram of the SL), vehicles and petrol linked to the SL, business meals (up to 1% of the net income of the SL). Not deductible are holidays, new home kitchen, kids schools, etc.

Email Antonio at aflores@lawbird.com

THE Government has repealed a law allowing businesses to dismiss workers who accumulate too much medical leave. Adhering to a manifesto promise the PSOE government scrapped the law, put in place by the PP in 2012.

Unfair

“We are repairing an anomaly in which this unfair dismissal does not exist, and that provides legal certainty,” said Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz. “It is not fair to sack people who can medically justify their absence.” The law was introduced despite the European Court of Justice warning Spain that firing employees on the basis of illness was discriminatory. It aimed to allow greater flexibility in the labour market, facilitating lower wages and lowering the dismissal of workers. Its supporters argue it helped make Spain

‘Unfair’ sick leave law repealed by government in boost for workers’ rights

a more competitive market, but its opponents believe it eroded workers’ rights, while promoting job insecurity and lower wages. It could be argued that the law has helped to reduce unemployment, as it fell from

27% in 2013, to 13.8% in the final quarter of 2019. The current government believes that the rate of unemployment will stabilise at 13.6% in 2020 and fall gradually to 12.3% in 2023.

BUSINESS

International Rescue

March 4th - March 17th 2020

Chartered Financial Planner Jonathan Holdaway reveals how he helped one client save £10k a year

ONE of the aspects of my job which gi- the considerable amount of commission ves me the most satisfaction is helping paid to the adviser at the start of the clients extricate themselves from bad plan, and protect the product provider if products and portfolios they have pre- the bond was encashed in the first 10 viously acquired from another adviser. years. You see a lot of older Pension or Invest- I therefore restricted my advice to the ment products that had underlying portfolio of funds high ongoing charges applfor the time being, which ying to them and were often had not been ‘rebalanced’ Quality funds invested in costly, low-perhe had invested. from household since forming ‘active’ funds. Some of these had perforI met a new client called names you would med acceptably – quality from household naPeter three years ago and no doubt have funds mes you would no doubt at the time could only take over the ongoing servicing heard of yourself have heard of yourself. However, the adviser had of his plan – you will see also recommended some why later – but this gave me the time to plan a successful ‘exit’ ‘structured products’ which, because for him. He had invested £720k in a Self of the volatility in world stock markets, Invested Pension Plan (SIPP) with a Life meant that these were then worth noAssurance Company’s Investment Bond thing at the end of their term. I also identified that some of the funds as the underlying product. He had used this to buy a portfolio of had paid an additional amount of comfunds recommended by his adviser, but mission to the adviser, and subsequentwhich had not been reviewed since they ly had not performed well compared to met six years before. And when he tried their sector – partly due to the additiocalling the mobile number on the busi- nal cost but also because the managers THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO: Jonathan changed a client’s life with his own rescue mission nalty would cease at the end of the year, – less than half what he would have paid ness card he had kept, it was ‘unobtai- were poor. nable!’ The average annual management fees the 1% ongoing product charge would to the existing Bond provider – and for have applied for the rest of his life. the rest of his life, not just for five years. Peter had been introduced to me by his of the Portfolio of funds was 1.9% pa. accountant who felt he was in need of I removed all the rubbish from his port- This was in addition to the 1% pa he’d So overall with changes I made to the folio, replacing it with cheaper ‘passive’ paid to the adviser’s old firm for ongoing SIPP’s underlying investment product some professional financial planning. service. He was particular- and the funds, I had reduced his annual Peter was drawing heavily on his pen- index tracking funds, and ly aggrieved at this as he costs by nearly 2% per year – or around sion fund during a particularly volatile rebalancing everything in Needless to hadn’t exactly had any! £10k based on the current value. period for world stock markets – £280k line with his current attituBy selling the bond and Needless to say Peter is very pleased to be exact, including the 25% ‘tax free de to risk which was now say Peter is reinvesting the funds into a with his new arrangement and also reacash’ sum, and as a result had severely lower as a result of his exvery pleased similar product with another lly appreciates the regular advice I give perience and nervousness depleted his fund to £490k. provider it left enough com- him regarding changes to asset allocaHe had therefore only made around £50k about financial markets. with his new mission to pay Peter back tion and, occasionally, funds in his porover the preceding six years; that’s just This reduced the ongoing arrangement the 0.75% surrender pe- tfolio. under 10% of his investment of £540k fund management fees to nalty and pay me an agreed Incidentally this is at half the cost (0.5% an average of 0.55% pa. after the lump sum had been taken. I discovered that there were ‘surrender Now, although only in the ninth year of amount to sufficiently cover the cost of pa) of the ongoing fee paid to his previous advisory firm for no service. penalties’ still applying to the Bond, and the ‘bond’, Peter had had enough, and my time. these reduced over the first 10 years to the surrender penalty was a more pala- This not only meant a more limited es- Next on my hit list is his SIPP provider tablishment period of five years but an whose trustee fees I consider to be fairly table 0.75% of the fund. nothing on a sliding scale. Even though he was paying a 1% per If he stayed, although the surrender pe- establishment charge of only 0.45% pa excessive compared to others I know. annum charge for the lifetime of the product, it was too much of a bitter pill to Jonathan now has an office Malaga, which can be found here: swallow and pay the penalty. Alameda Colón, 9, 1, 7. 29001 Málaga, Spain. Phone: +34 951 579226 Basically this was designed to recoup

Contact me for a no obligation investment product and/or portfolio review and at my expense on +34 654 898 303 /+44 77230 27864 or email me at jonathan.holdaway@chasebuchanan.com I’ll even buy the coffee.

HEALTH

March 4th - March 17th 2020

Big problem ALMOST 25% of people in Spain are overweight, according to a new study. The figures obtained from a study undertaken by the European Association for the Study of Obesity also suggest that by 2030, half of Spain’s population will be overweight. The Spanish government is trying to curb this trend, considering increasing IVA on high calorie products, such as fast food, pastries and soft-drinks, with the aim of reducing their consumption. According to a report by UNICEF’s Spanish Committee, up to 40% of young people between the ages of eight and 16 are overweight in the Iberian country.

Life sentence

Death rate for those with depression in Spain revealed as 50% higher than those without

PEOPLE suffering with depression in Spain are 50% more likely to die early, a new study has revealed. Research has shown that depression is associated with a higher rate of mortality. According to results, the

risk for 18 to 64-year-old men is six times higher. Various international studies have shown that suffering from depression is associated with premature death, not only due to specific causes of

Butt out

SPAIN’S ban on smoking in public spaces and workplaces has made a huge dent in tobacco sales in Cordoba. Spain joined its European neighbours in banning smoking in public in 2006, in line with EU regulations. The move was a clear statement of intent to improve the nation’s ever increasing problem with lung and heart disease. Before the ban, 72 million packs of cigarettes were purchased throughout the province, but since then, figures have steadily dropped to bring the 2019 figure down to 31.5 million packs. The numbers were released in a recent report by the Tobacco Market Commission of the Ministry of Finance. In 2007, the figures steadily declined to 66 million, before plummeting to 30.9 million in 2018, the lowest figure on record, with a slight rise to 31.5 million then recorded in 2019.

Stigma

“The study allowed us to calculate that people suffering from depression in Spain have a 50% higher risk of dying in the next six years,” said research leader Jose Luis Ayuso. He added: “It comes as a surprise since depression is more frequent in women and the elderly.” According to the work, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, young men and adults could be the most affected in terms of mortality due to less healthy lifestyle habits in men with depression and the stigma around seeking professional help.

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NEARLY 90% of pregnant women who want to have an abortion have been harassed by anti-abortion groups, according a report. Asociacion de Clinicas Acreditadas para la Interrupcion del Embarazo (ACAI) is an organisation that runs abortion clinics and has released a report stating that 89% of women who have tried to terminate their pregnancies have been pressured by anti-abortion groups. Sonia Lamas, a spokesperson for the organisation described some of the examples of abuse the clinics face: “We reported months ago the harassment we suffered, but the authorities don’t even come to clean the graffiti.” Of that 89%, 67% felt threatened during the medical procedure because of the harassment they had faced previously. Anti-abortion groups such as Hazte Oír, Derecho a Vivir, Más Futuro and Asociación Sifra dedicate a good part of their time and resources to put obstacles up in place for women trying to get an abortion. Examples of that include going to clinics in the mornings and planting themselves there, waiting for women in order to persuade them to change their minds, sometimes by giving them brochures and sometimes even through harassment, by grabbing their arms or calling them ‘murderers’.

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death such as suicide but also to higher overall mortality. But this is the first study of the Spanish adult population. The most vulnerable group was found to be men between the ages of 18 and 64 years old. Researchers from the CIBERSAM department at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) carried out the study.

Too far

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MOTORS The king is back

March 4th - March 17th 2020

Staying on

FACTORY Honda rider and multiple world champion Marc Marquez has signed a new contract with the Repsol HRC Team. The Spanish rider will now stay on at Honda until 2024. The news emerged ahead of the first round of the 2020 MotoGP Championship that the six-time world champion extended his current contract for four years. “I am very proud to announce my renewal with Honda Racing Corporation for the next four years,” said Marquez.

Alonso returns to McLaren for shot at motorsport’s prestigious Triple Crown FERNANDO Alonso has returned to McLaren For a shot at the Triple Crown. The Spanish pilot has reached an agreement with the British

team to return to the Indy 500. Arrow McLaren SP’s signing of the Asturian was made official through his social media

Start your engines

MASERATI has been named as Spain’s most popular supercar for 2019. The Italian brand comes in top spot with 230 models purchased. No other luxury brand came close, with fellow Italians Ferrari coming in second with 73 models purchased and Japanese company Subaru in third with 62 models. Head to www.theolivepress.es for the full Top Ten list.

Do you know if you need or how to exchange your driving licence? Liberty Seguros answers your questions. There are many questions being bounced around about the consequences of Brexit and what effect it will have for those in Spain and other parts of Europe. And, of course, nothing is certain yet. One of the most recurring doubts is about the validity of driving licences. In this regard, you must know that all driving licences issued in any member state of the European Union and the European Economic Area are valid for driving in Spain while they are in force and have not been removed for any reason. While you have your permit in force, the ex-

change for an equivalent Spanish driver’s licence is completely voluntary. However, don’t forget that once you obtain your legal residence in Spain your licence will be subject to the Spanish regulations regarding its period of validity, control of your psychophysical aptitudes and assignment of a points credit. In those cases, where the driving licence is not subject to a specific period of validity, this will have to be renewed after two years since establishing your legal residence in Spain. However, from January 1st 2021, the general regulations on non-EU countries will apply to the

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account. “Now I can share with you that we will be in May at the 500 miles! I look forward to it,” the Spanish pilot wrote online. With this return, Alonso will attempt to achieve motorsport’s prestigious Triple Crown, which includes a win at Indianapolis as well as Formula One’s Monaco Grand Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car endurance race. The only driver to have completed the treble is Graham Hill. Alonso will be in a third car entry from the team alongside their two regular drivers Askew and O’Ward, attempting to make the field of 33 for the May 24 race. The Asturian has expressed his enthusiasm to be back with another shot at Indy 500 and attempt to take the

crown. According to the two time F1 champion, the Indy 500 is the ‘greatest race in the world.’ Despite the Spaniard’s return to McLaren for a shot at the event, a return to F1 with McLaren is unlikely, at least the foreseeable future as explained by Zak Brown, McLaren’s chief executive. He said during a press conference that McLaren and Alonso, 38, were in a ‘different place now.’ Brown committed to the young pairing of Norris and Sainz, calling them ‘two great young drivers who fans like’, with a connection and rhythm that McLaren does not want to ‘disturb.’ In addition to his two F1 titles, Alonso has won the World Endurance Championship, the Rolex 24 at Daytona and has twice won the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

permits issued by the British authorities and you will be allowed to drive in Spain for only six months from your entry in Spain or from the date of obtaining your legal residence. Therefore, if your driving licence was issued in the United Kingdom and you have been residing in Spain for a longer period than 6 months this will no longer be valid for driving in Spain from that date. To continue driving on Spanish roads without problems, you must exchange your permit to a Spanish licence before the said date. To do so, you must arrange an appointment with your nearest office through https://sedeapl.dgt.gob.es

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You still might use your Spanish licence in the UK for short visits or exchange it for a UK licence without taking a test if you return to live in the UK. What do you need to exchange your licence? · Official application form available at the Jefaturas de Tráfico (Provincial Traffic Departments) and on the DGT’s website (www.dgt. es) · Proof of identity and residence: National identity card or passport; your residence card, national identity card or passport and your certificate of registration in the Central

Roaring into action THE Circuit de Cataluña in Barcelona saw rubber hit tarmac for the first time in 2020 for the first Formula One test of the year. The test give manufacturers a chance to show off a full off season of developments and also gave viewers a chance to see the cars in their new 2020 outfits. After three intense days of testing, the Mercedes duo of Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton topped the timesheets putting the brand new Mercedes W11 in first and second, setting an ominous tone for the rest of the season. Bottas took control of the third session early on as he lapped his C5 shod Mercedes at a near race pace of 1m15.732s. Hamilton took over in the afternoon using Pirelli’s softest tire available but couldn’t top Bottas’ time, ending the session 0.784s off his teammate's benchmark. The third day was littered with red flags as both Kevin Magnussen and Daniel Ricciardo took trips into the tyre wall. Red Bull’s Esteban Ocon finished the test in third in his brand new RB16 after putting in a marathon stint, focusing on race distance performance and setting the second most laps over the entire three days.

Register for Foreign Nationals if you are an EU national; residence card for non-EU nationals. · Foreign driving licence to be exchanged in force. · Up-to-date 32 mm x 26 mm colour photo · Number or proof of payment of having paid the fee II.3: 28,30€ There are three methods of payment: online www.dgt.es, by bank card at Traffic Departments and by direct debit from a bank account or in cash at financial institutions (model form 791 available at Traffic Departments and on www.dgt.es) All our over 300 agents and brokers are highly qualified with extensive experience and will be available to assist you with any questions you may have. And very importantly, this is done in a personal and friendly way, face to face, in an office environment and not by telephone, unless you so wish. Liberty Seguros excels for the quality of its services, something very well valued by drivers, since they know that they can turn to their insurer at any time to discuss any queries they may have. Liberty Seguros is a very reliable and professional company that has the backing of one of the most important insurance groups in the world: Liberty Mutual. Don’t forget Liberty Seguros not only offers car insurance but also home, life and funeral, amongst others, so you can place all your insurance needs under one expert roof!

To find the location of your nearest broker/agent, please visit www.libertyexpatriates.es. or simply call 91 342 25 49

March 4th - March 17th 2020

COLUMNISTS

False friends

If you didn’t know, an earworm is the term for a song or, more annoyingly, single verse or line from a song, which somehow gets stuck in your subconscious and keeps repeating over and over again. In the past few days, I have been plagued by a persistent earworm featuring late 70s one-hit-wonders The Knack. But instead of playing the chorus to their sole success My Sharona, this particular earworm has subtly altered the lyric. Which means that I now have ‘Ohhhhh, yeaaaah, My Corona’ echoing through the (admittedly cavernous) space in my head where my brain should be. The first cases of coronavirus were reported in Marbella at the end of February. If you grew up as a child in the 70s, as I did, your previous experience with Corona was probably as a fizzy drink, given to you along with a Matchbox car and a packet of Monster Munch as you waited for the grown

Fake news, cocaine and 70s rock – the Costa del Sol really has gone coronavirus crazy, writes Giles Brown ups in the pub car park. The fact that coronavirus had finally reached Marbella was worthy of a report on my news blog, and I duly wrote a piece, based on a statement from the Junta de Andalucia’s Department of Health. You know. The Junta. The organisation that allegedly runs the province we live in. Once again, social media didn’t let me down. The pick of the comments that came in included ‘please do not exacerbate this just for the sake of journalism’, ‘DONT LET THE NEWS-HUNGRY PRESS CRIPPLE MARBELLA!’ and ‘Great! Now that’s going to panic the whole of the Costa del Sol and others. Tourism is going to suffer, flights will be cancelled and prices will go up, great media panic. Well done!’ I like to think that I have a little bit of media clout, but

blaming me for any impending financial crisis on the coast is a little churlish. And then there were the more succinct, Anglo Saxon replies. ‘Bollocks’ was my favourite. When something like this hits the headlines, a wide variety of social media conspiracies and theories always spring up. ‘Cocaine kills coronavirus’ was one that caught my eye and enabled me to come up with the following cunning plan to beat the virus. Either: a) move to Bogota or, failing that, the second line of Banus after midnight. b) If you think you have been exposed, check into one of Marbella’s five star hotels. After all, if you do have to be quarantined, you might as well do so in sumptuous luxury daaaaaaarlings! Keep calm, pass the hand sanitizer and carry on!

Beware these linguistic enemies which trick many a Spanish student, warns Charlie Smith

while embarazosa translates as ‘embarrassing’. Meanwhile, describing people can also set you up for a fall. For example, preocupado doesn’t mean ‘busy’ or ‘preoccupied’, but is actually ‘worried’. Then there is sensible, which is especially confusing, as it is spelt exactly the same as the English word ‘sensible’. But to describe a person as sensible in Spanish actually means they are ‘sensitive’. You’d also be forgiven for thinking that emocionado meant ‘emotional’, but it is actually ‘excited’. Elsewhere, ropa means clothes, not rope, and molestar means to annoy, not to be confused with to molest. So the next time you see a Spanish word and think ‘ah..gotcha!’, you might want to check the dictionary.

OP Puzzle solutions

Quick Crossword

Across: 7 Yielded, 9 Erode, 10 Animals, 11 Frown, 12 Sweep, 14 Yardley, 16 Extinct, 18 Samos, 20 Cheer, 22 Blaenau, 24 Madam, 25 Overdue. Down: 1 Bypass, 2 Sediment, 3 Idea, 4 Performs, 5 Polo, 6 Teensy, 8 Dusty, 13 Panorama, 15 Lemonade, 16 Encamp, 17 Taboo, 19 Saucer, 21 Eddy, 23 Apex.

SUDOKU

It’s all gone viral! EARWORM: One-hit wonders the Knack are surprisingly relevant as coronavirus takes hold

IF you’ve taken the decision to finally learn Spanish, you will soon discover the pain of ‘false friends’. These are not the mates who bitch about you behind your back or slink off without paying for their share of the bill. No, in language terms, false friends are words that sound English, but in fact mean something entirely different in Spanish. Although they may lead to a social faux pas, the words classed as false friends in Spanish tend to be words you will want to use often. There are dozens of them in the language, but here is a pick of the most commonly used: Constipada is one of the most famous examples. It doesn’t mean constipated as you might expect, but is actually ‘a cold’. The word for constipated in Spanish is estreñido. Another medical one often referenced in Spanish language classes is embarazada, meaning pregnant, NOT embarrassed. This is perhaps one of the most misleading words in Spanish and has probably caused many an embarrassing moment. Desconcertado means ‘to be embarrassed’,

Charlie Smith

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March 4th - March 17th 2020

For the love of the game EXCLUSIVE By Dimitris Kouimtsidis

FOR many football fans, the team they support means the world to them, but one superfan takes it a step further. British expat, Jan Formella, 44, is a die-hard Tottenham fan, who’s had a season ticket for more than 15 years. When he upped sticks to Alicante five years ago, the Londoner refused to leave his beloved Spurs behind. The father-of-three makes the 1,400km trip from his home in Javea to London’s newly-built Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as often as he can. He claims he’s never sat down and calculated

As Tottenham struggle for form this season, one superfan from Spain is earning his spurs, commuting to London to watch as many matches as he can

the costs of attending a match, but, believes it is somewhere in the region of €500 and €600. “I probably catch around ten home games a season, along with the odd European one away,” he told the Olive Press. To make this possible, he tries to schedule UK busi-

Fair play

ness trips to coincide with midweek fixtures. Formella runs his Surrey-based IT and recruit-

A legend’s farewell

IKER Casillas has announced his plans to run for Spanish FA president, as he retires after an illustrious career. The World Cup-winning Spanish goalkeeper, 38, suffered a heart attack last May and has not played since. The Porto player told club President Nuno Pinto da Costa that he had finally decided to hang up his gloves. Casillas confirmed he would contest the presidency against Luis Rubiales and said: “Yes, I will stand for presidency of the Spanish FA when elections are called.”

History, adventure and romance. That’s just the setting.

JAN: With pals at Champions League Final in Madrid and (left) former Spurs manager Terry Venables - ‘El Ted’ who lives in Alicante

ment company, Cornucopia IT Resourcing Limited, remotely from Spain. “I fly either the day before or on the morning of the match, either from Valencia or Alicante. “I then get the train to Surrey and go into the office, have my meetings and then head off to meet my mates at the pub for some pre-match beers.” Despite the increasing popularity of resell websites such as Stubhub and Viagogo, Formella refuses to use them to sell his

seat when he’s absent, as he ‘doesn’t want to make a profit out of other fans’. If he can’t attend, he either gives his ticket to a mate, or sells it through the club exchange programme. When asked if he ever saw himself stopping, Formella said: “I say every season is my last one, but it’s an addiction, I can’t stop. “Football is a community thing, that’s why I go back, to meet up with friends and experience it together.”

AHEAD of International Women’s Day, female football players in Spain’s top division have secured a minimum wage deal. The footballers have signed their first collective agreement on pay and conditions, breaking an impasse with sporting authorities, which led to a strike last November. The Association of Women’s Football Clubs (ACFF) and various players’ unions had been locked in talks over the league’s first ever collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for nearly 18 months. This agreement guarantees Primera Division players a minimum salary of €16,000 per year, along with paid holiday and maternity leave. Sports Minister, Irene Lozano said: “This is a historic day because this collective agreement is very important for players who were worried about their futures.” Ruben Alcaine, president of the ACFF, added: “This is a moment to celebrate and now all actors in women’s football need to work together.”

Join us for a celebration of history, art, heritage and pageantry in a unique part of the world.

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FINAL WORDS

THE Food Co., a firm that sells Tesco products is opening a store on the Fuengirola to Mijas road.

Speed demon A GUARDIA Civil investigation has been launched into a man who allegedly raced a Spanish train at 220 kph in Zaragoza after police spotted a video of his antics, which he posted on social media.

Granny cool BRITISH woman Becca Keeley, 21, has become the UK’s youngest ever step-nan, after getting engaged in Tenerife to a 56-year-old grandad.

House of horror

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Vol. 13 Issue 338 www.theolivepress.es March 4th - March 17th 2020

By Laurence Dollimore

POLICE on Spain’s Costa del Sol don’t have enough money to wash their own vehicles.

Penny-pinching police cannot afford to clean their own cars

That’s according to the notice board at Estepona’s Policia Nacional station which said it

did not have the budget to pay for the essential service. “As of today, February 10, and

Mixed messages TECH company FNAC has been left red faced after selling €700 mobile phones for just €125 online. The retail giant made the costly error on its online store, while advertising the brand new Huawei P30 Pro for just €139, and €124 for loyalty card holders. Eagle-eyed consumers were quick to take advantage of the apparent ‘bargain’ and snapped up the phone, with nearly 13,000 orders for 18,500 units in the space of a few days. The error in pricing was picked up by the chain and was quick-

ly removed, with orders being revoked and messages sent to consumers explaining the situation and full refunds given. A spokesman for FNAC explained that the difference in price was clearly a typo due to the disproportionate savings and that the public should have been cautious of such a reduction. However, the National Consumer Arbitration Board of Spain disagreed, and insisted that the retailer must fulfil the orders or if there is no stock, an alternative model must be supplied with a similar saving.

until further notice, official vehicles cannot be washed due to a lack of budget,” the notice reads. Miguel Millan, chief of Policia Nacional in Malaga, told El Mundo that Estepona could be the first of many to stop washing their cars. It comes after the Automotive Department received a significant budget cut. “There is no money at all,” he told the respected Spanish paper, “the cars are in an unfortunate hygienic state. “Of course officers clear away their food etc but there is also lots of dust, dirt, glass…many of the vehicles have never seen a vacuum cleaner.” He added that the most worrying aspect is that they are not being disinfected, labelling the situation as ‘outrageous’. He said he would be submitting a request to have the budget restored.

THE house which saw the mysterious death of Marta del Castillo a decade ago sits unwanted and unsold. Following the murder of the 17-year-old at the Sevilla property in 2009, the house was repossessed from its owner, Miguel Carcaño for failure to pay the mortgage. Apparently, the bank has tried to resell the house but without success and it is now no longer being advertised. As the Calle León XIII property (above) became quite infamous through media coverage of the girls disappearance and murder this could be deterring the bank from putting the house on sale. Carcaño was convicted of the murder of the young Sevillian on January 24, 2009, and sentenced to 21 years in prison. However, there is still much mystery surrounding the death of the 17-year-old a decade later as her body has never been found. Marta’s parents recently convinced courts to reopen the case as new evidence arose.