Olive Press Costa Blanca North and Valencia Issue 110

Line in the sand

BEACH hoggers reserving breakfast slots on Calpe's beaches will be fined for hindering daily cleaning work.

Calpe council has reminded beach users of local laws prohibiting planting deck chairs, hammocks, and umbrellas before 9.30am.

Any belongings found before then will be removed and owners fined.

Calpe's beaches councillor, Pere Moll, said: “We appeal to the civility of beach users to ensure beaches are not occupied before that time.”

Police powers also mean that any beach equipment unattended for more than three hours will be taken away.

For many years, Calpe council has received numerous complaints during the summer about people 'reserving' space on the beach with mid-morning arrivals finding large stretches occupied by sun beds and umbrellas with no owners in sight.

A PERUVIAN expat has called in lawyers over claims he was beaten up by police and left in hospital with a ruptured bladder.

In the alarming alleged attack, Diego Armando Torres, insists he was punched and kicked by six Guardia Civil agents on a Friday night. Even more shocking, he claims he was tied up and a plastic bag was put over his head nearly suffocating him.

“I actually feared for my life, particularly when one officer told me ‘you’re going to die’,” he told the Olive Press this week.

The incident happened when he and a friend were heading home to Sabinillas at 9:15pm, on June 16. Diego, 37, who arrived in Spain to work as a builder two months ago, had been out for some drinks in nearby Estepona.

“We were pulled over at a motorway police check just before arriving in Sabinillas,” he explained.

“They stopped us and asked my mate to step out of the car. I initially stayed

Expat resident says he was brutally beaten up by Guardia Civil officers

By Alberto Lejarraga

in the passenger’s seat, but then got out to ask what was going on.

“The agents told me to be quiet and not to speak, but I asked again if everything was okay.

“The police are now saying that I used force and kicked one of them, but this is not true.

“Suddenly they snapped and forced me to the ground and I was handcuffed and taken to a police car.”

His mate, from Bolivia, who wants to remain anonymous, confirmed the heavy-handed arrest.

“But when I dared ask a policeman why they were doing it, he replied; ‘do you also want to get hit?’

“Diego was put in a car and that was the last time I saw him that day,” explained his friend, who is also a builder.

The victim claims he was then taken to the Guardia Civil barracks in Manilva where he was grilled on what he was doing in Spain.

“I was very scared and just wanted to call someone,” he said. “Eventually they agreed but as I left my phone in the car I couldn’t remember any numbers apart from my brother’s, who lives in Norway, and they refused to call a foreign number.”

It was then that a couple of the officers started slapping him in the face telling him to ‘shut up’.

“I remember there were up to six of them taking turns to slap me,” he insisted.

“After a while they took me back to the car. I was terrified and I started screaming for help. Then, one of the officers punched me in the face through the open window, cutting open my left eyebrow.”

At this point the attack got far more sinister, he claims, after the police took him back to a different smaller and darker room at the station.

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“They tied my ankles and wrists together, covered my head with a plastic bag and started punching and kicking me in the stomach,” he claims.

BEATEN: Diego with ruptured bladder and (far left) face with cuts and bruises

“When I was about to asphyxiate, they would remove the bag then put it back on. They did this many times.

“An officer also stepped on my head, causing me injuries and bruises. They kicked and punched me in the stomach until I passed out from the pain.

“The worst ones were, I estimate, in

their 30s and 40s, while two younger agents, probably in their 20s, did not do anything and actually tried to comfort me.”

After the brutal assault, he was taken to the Policia Local Station in Estepona, where he was put in a cell and fell asleep, but woke up around 3am

with agonising stomach pain. Despite begging to go to hospital it wasn’t until 9.20am that three Guardia agents returned and took him to a GP in Estepona, where the doctor told the officers he had to be taken to hospital urgently.

He was taken to Marbella’s Costa del Sol Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery on a ‘ruptured bladder’.

He also ‘presented bruises on the head and face’ according to the official medical report seen by the Olive Press. Diego has since taken legal advice and is currently waiting to hear back from a public defender to file an official complaint.

A Guardia Civil official report claims Diego was arrested for kicking one of

Continues on Page 2

EXCLUSIVE

Ukraine help

THE outgoing Valencian government has allocated €12.7 million in relief to nearly 13,000 struggling Ukraine refugees who will get €400 each for three months, with €100 per child.

En route

THE night bus C6 line service suspended due to the pandemic has resumed between Alicante-Elche airport and Alicante city.

Cop boost

SUMMER security coverage has been boosted with nearly 1,900 extra Guardia Civil and Policia Nacional officers in Alicante province and just under 4,000 in Valencia province.

More jobs

JUNE’S unemployment total of 325,577 in the Valencian Community was the lowest since October 2009 with a 6.65% fall over 12 months.

TRAVEL AGENT BROTHEL

COPS have dismantled an Alicante gang who sexually exploited women after bringing them over from Colombia via a travel agency with false promises of jobs.

Nine people have been arrested with two ringleaders jailed and 21 victims freed from flats in Valencia, Murcia and Alicante.

Investigations started when one of the victims escaped and contacted the Policia Nacional at Alicante Airport. She told officers she was recruited in Colombia with the promise she would work in Spain as a kitchen assistanta better paid job than back at home.

However, she was forced to work as a prostitute and pay for the cost of the trip funded by the criminals.

They charged extortionate interest on the sum plus expenses that had nothing to do with the journey.

The victim described the 'deplorable' conditions where she worked which was akin to slavery, having to work at all hours and not allowed outside.

The enterprise was conducted under the guises of a travel agency which allowed the gang to bring in the women from Colombia as tourists.

The criminal enterprise netted around €21,000 per month.

TWO men are being investigated for illegally advertising stuffed Eagle Owls on animal sales forums in Valencia.

Two birds were offered for sale by the Spaniards, who face charges of breaking Flora and Fauna laws over the sale of protected species.

The Guardia Civil monitored specialist animal sales websites and social media pages when they came across the adverts.

Neither of the sellers could produce any documents that allowed them to keep the stuffed birds, let alone permission to sell this kind of wild animal. The owls were seized by Guardia officers and handed over to judicial authorities.

NO HOOT! No get away!

A LUXURY yacht called 'Getaway of London' has been intercepted with €32 million of hashish on board.

The UK-registered boat was pulled over by the Guardia Civil in Santa Pola while five tons of hashish was being unloaded.

Three men were arrested at the marina while a fourth was detained at La Vall d'Uixo in Castellon province.

Several people are said to

Crew of British yacht Getaway of London heading to prison after €32 million drugs found

By Alex Trelinski

have jumped into the water to avoid being caught, with two men still believed to be at large.

The interception happened after the Guardia received

Hugger mugger grabbed

A HUGGER mugger robber wanted by over 20 courts across Spain has been arrested in Alicante.

The 25-year-old Romanian woman was part of a travelling robbery gang specialised in love-hug assaults. Her gang mainly targeted elderly people or tourists and then put them in a bear hug while ripping off watches and jewellery or pinching a wallet and purses.

The Romanian had 29 arrest warrants out against her which locally included Cartagena, Benidorm, and Orihuela.

Brutality

the agents, which he completely denies.

Leading Marbella lawyer Antonio Flores, described the case as ‘an atrocity’. “If proved, this would be an atrocity. First, these officers should be given a precautionary suspension and then tried for assault and abuse of authority,” he insisted.

A spokesman for Spain’s Ombudsman added: “If he has been beaten up, he needs to file a report and the justice system will do its job.”

intelligence that a 'fast boat' with four engines and a top speed of 52 knots would be landing with ‘a big stash of drugs’.

Alongside the Policia Nacional, officers launched a surveillance operation, which bore fruit when a van was spotted approaching the yacht club. The vehicle parked up next to the 18-metre long luxury yacht and several people unloaded bales of hashish into the van.

The nationalities of those detained has not been revealed, although the van was stopped with 74 bales of hashish, weighing 38 kilos each.

A further 52 bales were found on the boat.

A Guardia Civil press officer said: “I don’t know if this is true or not, but it sounds strange to me. I have been a Guardia Civil for 30 years and I have never seen anything like this. It sounds like a science fiction movie. Once he files a complaint, this will go to court and a judge will decide.”

Drug

club shut

A BENIDORM cannabis club has been closed down for selling drugs - mainly to foreign tourists.

Licensed cannabis associations are permitted under Spanish law so long as they are members clubs with people smoking their own marijuana.

Five people aged between 20 and 28 have been arrested including club officials and various amounts of narcotics and cash seized.

HE had been walking down a Barcelona street in the early days of the Spanish Civil War when a striking figure captured his eye.

It was July 25, 1936, and the woman standing on a barricade really stood out. Antoni Campañà jumped into action training his camera on the attractive Spaniard wearing militia fatigues.

Smiling broadly with all the early optimism of the Republican cause, she held up the classic black flag of Spain’s CNT anarchist trade union.

The picture - like Robert Capa’s legendary Falling Soldier photo taken in Cordoba - would go on to become one of the most emblematic symbols of the war. But the famous photo would also spark a decades-long mystery – just who was this iconic woman?

Her identity remained unknown for an incredible 87 years, until a breakthrough five years ago, when the identity of the photographer was first discovered.

A Barcelona local, Toni Monne, was rummaging around in his old family house in Sant Cugat when he discovered a box containing thousands of wartime photographs belonging to his grandfather, Antoni. And among them was the iconic image.

Step forward a few years and Monne began working with the National Art Museum of Catalunya (MNAC) to prepare an exhibition of Campaña's work.

Then, as if by fate, when the

Richie’s return

THE seemingly ageless Lionel Richie returned to play Marbella last week after an eightyear hiatus.

Just 72 years young, the crooner, who rose to fame as part of the Commodores in the seventies, performed some of his greatest hits at the auditorium of the Starlite festival.

“It's been an amazing night and I hope to see you again soon," Richie said on stage at the end of the concert.

OUR AUNT ANITA

exhibition finally opened a family member of the unknown woman attended while visiting Barcelona from France.

“We got goosebumps,” François Gomez Garbin revealed, on seeing his aunt Anita in the photo.

And by chance Monne, who happened to be there at that moment, was told that the woman’s name was Ana Garbín Alonso.

And finally her story was known.

Born in Almería in 1915, Alonso was 21 years old when Campaña took her photograph, which was then distributed throughout Europe on the postcard album, The Fight in Barcelona. When the war ended with a win by Fran-

co's fascist army, Alonso was forced to cross the Spanish border and settle in Beziers, France. She became a dressmaker and had a son, Pepito, yet incredibly never once returned to Spain. Despite this, Spanish culture pervaded the walls of her home, its music, food and humour. And now, this month, her story is being told in an extraordinary exhibition in Montpellier entitled; Hidden icons. The Unknown Images of the Spanish War. Alonso died in 1977, but the exhibition remembers her fighting spirit and includes a selection of many other of Campaña's works.

THAT’S THE PITS!

Formula One hotshot Lando Norris’s Spanish rental villa burgled while out for dinner

HE may be blessed with wealth, good looks and a career as F1 driver, but Englishman Lando Norris’s good fortune seems to have deserted him in recent times.

Not only is the 23-year-old hotshot enduring a less-thanstellar racing season, but he recently became the victim of a very expensive robbery – the second in two years. The McLaren driver revealed he had been burgled while he had gone out in Marbella with a group of friends to eat. The group, that included the

By Walter Finch

popular influencer Jennie Dimova, found their luxury villa in the nearby hills ransacked and most of their possessions gone.

"We were out for dinner, and our place got robbed," Norris, who is currently ninth in the standings, revealed.

"A mixture of many things were stolen. Some were expensive and some were not so expensive,” he continued.

“It is still an ongoing investigation so I cannot say too much."

HEDGEHOG RESCUE

A TEAM of unique 'hedgehog-saving' dogs have been trained to rush into action after the first summer wildfires razed parts of the Doñana national park.

The canines have been specially trained by an environmental group to sniff out injured hedgehogs.

Once located, the hedgehogs are treated and cared for and then returned to their natural habitat.

CHOLI-DAYS

DIEGO Simeone has been spotted enjoying a break from the daily pressures of the Atletico Madrid hotseat with the missus. The 53-year old waded into the shallows with his bikini-clad paramour Carla Pereyra, nearly 20 years his junior, during their getaway in Ibiza.

The Argentine, often known as ‘Cholo’, needed to let his hair down after a so-so season with Atletico.

His side notched their customary third place finish and crashed out of the Champions League in the group stages.

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The shocking turn of events left Dimova shaken up, as she shared her anguish on TikTok.

"If you're wondering why I look like this, it's because our villa got robbed," she said.

"Everything I owned - my clothes, my shoes, my bags, my jewellery - everything has been taken.

“I'm left with literally nothing. I cried for two hours, but what can I do?"

The blow didn’t stop Norris from coming second in the British grand prix at the weekend. It is a big improvement having only managed to secure points in four of the other nine races this season.

POINTLESS DEATH

A BULL has died after it drowned in the sea during Denia’s controversial Bous a la Mar event.

Despite runners traditionally taunting the bull to jump into the sea, the annual event is classified as a ‘Festival of National Tourist Interest’. Held in honour of Denia’s patron saint, a boat normally pulls the animals to safety.

However, this year, by the time the boat had dragged the bull back to land, it had already died.

After the incident, festivities were suspended for the rest of the day. Several animal rights groups, including PETA and AnimaNaturalis, have denounced the festivities describing them as animal abuse. The last time a bull died at the event was in 2011.

Eyes peeled

ABDUCTED: Jayden’s dad Andrew has ‘brought him to Spain’

A CHILD who was abducted by his biological father while on holiday in Portugal a year ago is thought to have crossed into Spain.

Jayden Pearson, 14, is believed to have been moved into Andalucia, having lived further north.

The Doncaster-native is slim, 5ft tall, with blue-green eyes and light brown hair. He was last seen by his mother, who has legal custody, when she waved him off on a 10-day trip to the Algarve with his father Andrew Pearson, 33, in August last year. However, when the airport taxi did not pick Jayden up on his return flight and Andrew

Appeal for missing child abducted by his father in Portugal thought to have crossed into Spain

By Walter Finch

blocked her number, mother Rebecca Jones, 35, began to fear the worst. Police investigations in both Portugal and the UK initially pinpointed the pair in Alcobaca, between Lisbon and Porto, and later in Castelo Branco. But it is now feared his father could have brought him into Andalucia in efforts to evade capture.

See you in court!

A CAMPAIGN group is launching legal proceedings against a housing development that will desecrate ‘the last virgin kilometre of Orihuela Costa’.

The ‘abhorrent’ Cala Mosca development of 2,200 homes has long been on the drawing board of developer Gomendio.

The controversial plan was previously halted in 2008 because of its environmental impact, but in an unpopular turn it was finally approved by the town’s council last April.

A final green light for the project was confirmed by the new PP-VOX government in June.

But Salvemos Cala Mosca has refused to give up its defence of the pristine coastland, including more protests and legal proceedings.

“We have submitted an official document confirming we are taking the case to court very soon,” spokesman Angel Barcelo told the

Rebecca gained custody of Jayden and his brother, Mathew, 11, in 2019 after her relationship broke down with Andrew.

But she agreed to let him go on the holiday with his father, unaware of what he was planning.

If you spot either Jayden or Andrew, you are advised not to approach but contact South Yorkshire Police on +44 114 2196905. Alternatively email newsdesk@theolivepress.es

Olive Press. He insisted: “We will ask for an injunction and if this is granted, the works will be stopped until the judicial proceedings finish.”

This newspaper has previously exposed Gomendio for using ‘intimidation’ and ‘lies’ to put pressure on local authorities.

REGIONAL transport around the Valencian Community will continue to be free for anyone 30 or under this year.

The extension also maintains a 50% discount for Metrovalencia, the Alicante Tram, the Castello Tram, and intercity buses. Free transport for young people was introduced in October 2022 as a way of promoting sustainable travel and fighting inflation.

Around 240,000 passes have been issued and used in four million journeys, resulting in passenger savings of €2 million.

Free pass extension Train ban fury

A RENFE ban to take bicycles onto the Los Nietos rail service has angered Cartagena cycling groups. Members from various clubs protested over the ban, insisting it is hypocritical given RENFE claims its trains are the most sustainable transport.

Firework blast

TWO firework factory workers sustained serious injuries after an explosion in Vilamarxant.

The blast happened at a self-contained work hut at Pirotecnia del Mediterraneo.

Social inequality panacea

SPANISH labour minister, Yolanda Diaz, is proposing to give every 18-year-old in the country a one-off payment of €20,000 to use on education, training, or establishing a business.

This ‘universal income’ would be accessible to all young citizens, regardless of their economic background and would come with guidance on how to spend it wisely.

To fund the €10bn program, Diaz plans to tax citizens earning more than €3m a year.

PROTEST: Locals up in arms

JUDICIAL SHOCKER

THE Supreme Court has quashed a rape conviction of a Moroccan bricklayer for a sexual assault that took place more than 30 years ago.

Ahmed Tommouhi, 72, was incorrectly convicted of a series of sexual assaults in 1991, and spent 15 years in jail. However the assaults had in fact been carried out by another man who had a very similar physical appearance.

The key to the ruling was semen gathered at the scene had no genetic match to Tommouhi. The only evidence was his identification in a police lineup.

Furthermore, one of the rape victims, identified only as Nuria, has since admitted she mistakenly identifyied Tommouhi, due to his similarity to the true rapist.

Tommouhi was 40 years old when he arrived in Spain, but was arrested just six months later for these crimes that he did not commit.

He revealed this week that he refused to return to his home country until his name was cleared in Spain.

MELTDOWN ON THE WAY

SPAIN'S second major heatwave of the summer arrived this week and could serve up highs of 48 degrees in some inland areas, threatening the alltime record in the Western Mediterranean.

The highest temperature ever was observed just two years ago in Sicily, Italy on August 11, 2021 when the mercury hit 48.8 degrees.

The country's state weather service, Aemet, suggests that the hot weather could be around for some time -

By Alex Trelinski

as much as two weeks. There is nevertheless some respite this weekend predicted for coastal areas, with 31 degrees for Malaga, 30 degrees in Benidorm, and 32 degrees in Valencia.

Higher temperatures of 35 degrees for Torrevieja and 33 for Palma are forecast. The high temperatures are being caused by a mass of very warm and dry air

The Mediterranean is facing prospect of highest temperatures

ever recorded

known as ‘Cerberus’ travelling from the Sahara desert that has been expanding into Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia towards south Europe. Heat warnings have been issued both to residents and tourists across Spain. The Cruz Roja has urged people to check on the most vulnerable during the

CHILD DIES IN HOT CAR

A THREE-YEAR-OLD child died on Thursday after his mother accidently left him in a locked car. The youngster passed away after spending several hours in temperatures of around 25ºC in the Pontevedra province in the northeastern Galicia region.

The mother reportedly forgot to leave the child at the daycare centre where he was due to be looked after, and travelled instead directly to her place of work.

The authorities were alerted to the child’s plight by a passer-by, who called the emer-

gency services at around 5pm.

An ambulance crew could do nothing for the child however, apart from to certify his death.

The alarm was also raised when the boy’s father went to pick the boy up from the daycare centre, and found that he was missing.

The local council of O Porriño, where the family lives, has declared three days of mourning.

See letters on p9

Heat stroke deaths soar

AN alarming nine people died of heatstroke in Alicante last month.

The numbers are expected to increase with the current heatwave pushing temperatures to record numbers.

high temperatures, such as children and older people, while also calling on people to stay hydrated and to watch for signs of heatstroke, which can include vomiting and fainting.

The new heatwave comes after the World Meteorological Organization said the beginning of this month was the hottest week on record for the planet.

'The world just had the hottest week on record, according to preliminary data,' the WMO said in a statement, after climate change and the early stages of the El Niño weather pattern drove the warmest June on record.

El Niño is a naturally occurring pattern that drives increased heat worldwide, as well as drought in some parts of the world and heavy rains elsewhere.

Over the summer period, hospital casualties increase by at least 10% due to extreme temperatures. There have been health alerts issued in over 50 towns in Alicante due to the increase of humidity going up to 70%

Triple death on beach

THREE men drowned while swimming off the Catalan coast on the same day despite the incidents taking place on beaches where lifeguards were present.

A 60-year-old Cuban man died while bathing in Girona province with emergency crews unable to save him, while a 55-year old man drowned in nearby waters. Further south, an Indian man drowned in Tarragona. Again, lifeguards managed to pull him out of the water but medics could not save his life.

A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than two million people a month.

Voted top expat paper in Spain OPINION

OUR DUTY

IT is the moral duty of any public-serving media outlet in a healthy democracy to expose abuses of power.

At the Olive Press, we stand together with anyone, particularly foreigners, who have been bullied by the authorities.

So when we heard about the alleged police assault on Peruvian Diego Torres, we had an obligation to investigate it fairly and without prejudice.

It is true that when we first spoke to him, his story came as a shock.

But after meeting him and having gathered evidence, while naturally sceptical we could not find evidence that he was dishonest.

The Guardia Civil listened carefully when we explained to them the charges and promised us they will investigate when a complaint is formally filed.

The Olive Press maintains an excellent relationship with the law and order body, which we hope will continue.

Founded in 1844, the Guardia Civil is one of the main pillars of Spanish democracy, playing an essential role in the fight against crime and protecting us all.

‘Firm without violence’ were the words used by the Duke of Ahumada, its founder and first general director.

A motto that the vast majority of agents do follow, and we, as citizens, are thankful to them for taking care of us.

But if there are individuals that deviate from this purpose, and abuse the power vested in them as officers of the law, they must be rooted out.

So we are publishing Diego’s story to speed up the Guardia’s investigation into the issue and ensure that all their officers are on the right side of the law.

Because, if the charges turn out to be true, they probably have done it before, and are likely to do it again.

And if they turn out to be false, we can feel satisfied that we still did our duty to society.

PUBLISHER / EDITOR

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ELECTION FE

ON July 23, Spaniards will be heading to polling booths for the fifth time in the last 10 years, to choose the next prime minister and the government.

But according to the polling, it is far from clear who will be picked by voters and indeed whether any party or parties will get enough votes to avoid a stalemate.

Here is a complete guide to everything you need to know ahead of this key moment in Spanish politics.

WHY ARE WE HAVING ELECTIONS NOW?

After forming Spain’s first coalition government since the country returned to democracy in the 1970s, PSOE Socialist Party Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has repeatedly stated that he would see out the entirety of his fouryear term.

His administration was formed in early 2020 thanks to the support of junior partner Unidas Podemos, and the PM could have called elections as late as December of this year.

But after the May 28 local and regional

WHO ARE THE MAIN PARTIES STANDING?

Sanchez is running for reelection as prime minister, despite his reputation having taken a hit over the last four years thanks to the deals he has done with smaller, nationalist parties such as the Catalan Republican Left and EH Bildu, the former political wing of Basque terrorist group ETA. His main opponent is Alberto Nunez Feijoo of the PP, followed by Santiago Abascal of the far-right Vox.

A newcomer is Sumar, a leftist alliance that has absorbed the two component parts of Unidas Podemos, the United Left and Podemos itself, as well as other smaller leftist parties from Spain’s splintered political spectrum. The candidate for Sumar is current deputy prime minister and labour minister, Yolanda Diaz.

HOW DO GENERAL ELECTIONS WORK IN SPAIN?

Spaniards will be voting for the 350 deputies who will take their seats in the lower house of parliament, the Congress of Deputies.

Spain uses the D’Hondt method, which allocates Congress seats in proportion to the number of votes received, as well as a closed-list system of candidates, meaning that voters choose the party rather than the politicians who are running.

As for the Senate, the 208 seats are allocated using an open-list system, where electors vote for candidates rather than parties.

WHAT DO THE POLLS SAY?

While the predictions vary as to what will happen, one thing seems certain: no single party will win an outright majority of 176 seats in the 350-seat Congress, meaning a coalition is inevitable. The latest poll from Spanish daily El Pais predicts the PP and Vox will fall eight seats short of an absolute majority, with 125 seats for the former and 43 for the latter, a total of 168.

The survey, carried out by pollster 40dB, also predicts 111 seats for the PSOE and 35 for Sumar, for a total of vative newspaper ABC has predicted that the PP tween 175 and 183 seats, potentially paving the way mation of

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‘GET TXAPOTE TO VOTE FOR YOU’

‘QUE TE vote Txapote’, roughly translated as Get Txapote to vote for you. This seemingly innocent Spanish phrase, which is nice and catchy thanks to its rhyme, is causing an ongoing headache for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, and pain for the victims of terrorism.

But who is Txapote? And who came up with the slogan that has dominated the ongoing electoral campaigns in Spain?

The slogan first appeared on September 3, last year, when Sanchez was making a visit to Sevilla.

While he was received warmly by supporters, the Socialist Party leader was also confronted by a group of protestors, likely Vox supporters, who whistled, jeered and proffered insults.

Among the group was an older, portly gentleman, who was carrying a sign above his head with the now-immortal words: ‘Que te vote Txapote’.

Txapote’s real name is Francisco Javier Garcia Gaztelu, and he is a convicted terrorist from the now-defunct Basque group ETA.

Aged 57, he is currently serving a 152-year prison sentence for his crimes, which include some of the most shocking murders during ETA’s decades-long bloody campaign for an independent Basque Country.

Among these was the killing of Miguel Angel Blanco, a local PP councillor who was kid-

The slogan about ETA that is plaguing the prime minister and victims alike

napped by ETA, who demanded their prisoners be brought to jails in the Basque Country, closer to their families, in exchange for Blanco’s release.

The then-PP government of Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar refused to negotiate, and Blanco was shot twice in the head and left to die.

The kidnapping and the murder shocked Spain, and galvanised social rejection of ETA and its bloody campaign.

In fact, more than 500,000 people turned out to a demonstration in Bilbao while Blanco was still alive and being held by ETA, a phenomenon that was repeated in several other parts of Spain. So what does Txapote have to do with Pedro Sanchez?

The reason why the slogan works, and why it has stuck, is to do with the political deals that the prime minister has had to make over the last nearly four years of his government.

After the inconclusive elections of 2019, Sanchez formed a government with junior coalition partner Unidas Podemos (United We Can), but the administration still lacked a working majority in Congress.

As a result, to pass legislation – including the

all-important budget – Sanchez has done deals to gain the support of a series of smaller parties, including EH Bildu, which is the former political wing of ETA.

This has caused huge controversy among victims associations, as well as opening up a political flank where the opposition can attack him – and also gave rise to the now-infamous phrase, ‘Que te vote Txapote’.

EH Bildu is a legitimate political party, but its history and its often-timid condemnation of ETA violence means it is anathema for parties such as the PP and Vox.

The appearance of the slogan has prompted hundreds of column inches in Spanish newspapers, and it became a regular phrase used on social media.

It gained further traction on January 25, when a man who was being interviewed by broadcaster TVE about a speed camera issue suddenly started shouting it and other insults against Sanchez.

It has also been seized upon by far-right party Vox, and members of the PP. The regional premier of the Madrid region, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, cited the slogan during a debate in the Madrid assembly as a way of criticising the Socialist Party.

VER

WHO COULD DO DEALS?

Polling data has prompted analysts to predict that a PP-Vox government is the most likely outcome of the July 23 polls.

But if the groups fall short of a majority, they could struggle to find support. This is mostly due to Vox’s hardline policies on issues such as LGBTQ+ rights, domestic violence and illegal immigration (see over).

The Basque Nationalist Party, for example, has already made clear it won’t support a PP-Vox administration.

ANOTHER ‘FRANKENSTEIN’ GOVERNMENT?

This paves the way for a repeat of the 2019 election result, whereby the PSOE teams up with new leftist alliance Sumar, and seeks support from a myriad of smaller parties. The current administration has been governing in a minority this way over the last few years, but it has cost Sanchez dear: his concessions to Catalan separatists, including pardons for the jailed leaders of the 2017 independence drive, have come with huge political fallout, while agreements with EH Bildu in order to pass legislation have raised the ire of conservative voters and victims’ associations alike.

A REPEAT ELECTION?

Another possible outcome from July 23 is that Spaniards will be forced to return to the polls: if the result is inconclusive, and no party can find the support in Congress to select a prime minister and form a government, the elections may have to be rerun. This, however, could mean that the country is left with a caretaker administration until well into 2024.

IT is in many ways the Doomsday scenario for Spain … and certainly Gibraltar (you’ll need to read to the end).

But, what seemed impossible a year ago is now a terrifying reality with Spain’s July 23 general election set for next weekend.

As Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez sweet-talks his way around Spain on the traditional campaign tour, he may just be sleepwalking his way into allowing a fascist party into Moncloa Palace.

For (far) right up his rear-end - and with activists shadowing his every move - is the extreme nationalist party Vox, which is odds-on to become the dealmaker by the end of the month.

With an anti-EU agenda and policies to ban abortion, scrap gender violence laws and eject immigrants from Spain, the new party has understandably been labelled as ‘fascist’ and ‘neo-Nazi’.

So it’s alarming that Vox will likely hold the balance of power, expected to win between 11 and 14% of the vote (37 to 40 seats, next week). As, when coupled with the expected 135140 senators (33-35%) for the right

THE COWARDLY HYPOCRITE Santiago Abascal

Leader Santiago Abascal will once again stand as the party's candidate for the Presidency.

The 47-year-old - who appeared a-la-Putin, riding a horse during the last election campaign as if he was a Spanish Conquistador - is wellknown for his blatant hypocrisy.

While he

SURPRISE VOX

The Olive Press analyses four of the most controversial members of Spain’s far right party with the general election looming this month

wing PP party, the chance of Vox getting into a coalition government inches ever nearer.

While left wing coalition, Sumar, is making in-roads and threatening to grab up to 15% of the vote, it may not be enough to save Sanchez.

Here, we take a look at four controversial characters in Vox.

strongly advocates the eradication of useless public bodies he refers to as chiringuitos, Abascal actually benefited from one in the past.

In 2013, in fact, he was appointed Director of the Foundation for Patronage and Social Sponsorship in Madrid. This was a public body with no obvious activity and only one employee, in addition to Abascal, who was assigned a staggering wage of €82,491 per year.

Abascal, a former PP member who has never worked outside politics, created VOX on December 17, 2013, the very same day the Foundation for Patronage was dissolved. He later described this organisation as ‘unnecessary.’ But didn’t, of course, give the money back.

The VOX leader has also - no surprise as a fan of former dictator Franco - vehemently supported the return of compulsory military service in Spain, which ended in 2001.

Something Abascal never undertook, coincidentally, as he asked for three consecutive extensions that allowed him to postpone his enlistment, until it was scrapped.

THE CLIMATE DENIER Marta Fernandez

Marta Fernandez is a 56-year-old lawyer who became Chairwoman in the government of Aragon last month.

Fernandez, from Zaragoza, be-

came infamous for her several tweets dismissing the existence of gender violence, the covid pandemic and, even, wait for it, climate change!

Indeed ‘gender violence does not exist,’ she insisted just two years ago, telling feminists ‘you are the granddaughters of the Christians, who kicked Muslims out of the Iberian Peninsula so you can now walk around topless in the street.’ Granddaughters, Marta? How well did you do at history?

Fernandez, who thinks climate change is invented, also thinks that the Covid-19 pandemic was a conspiracy.

“Wash your hands regularly, because the Government and media are responsible for brainwashing,’ she railed.

And of course, she is also against the LGBT movement and, predictably, defined the arrival of migrants as an ‘invasion.’

ANTI-ABORTIONIST Javier Ortega Smith

Javier Ortega Smith is one of the VOX founding members and most controversial characters.

Smith, a 54-year-old lawyer, became well-known in 2018 after swimming (yes splashing in the briny) to Gibraltar to erect a Spanish flag of 180 metres wide. “Gibraltar is Spain. Pirates out of the rock,” he later He also has an unserved arrest warrant, only effective in Gibraltar, for stealing a concrete block in British waters in 2014.

The councillor for VOX in Madrid, he was criticised for boycotting a minute of silence for the victims of gender violence by carrying a banner that said ‘gender has no violence.’

Smith, who will be number four in the Madrid list for the general election, also believes ‘abortion is not a right’.’ “A woman can decide what to do with her own body. She can decide what haircut she wants, her nail colour, or what to eat, but when you have created life, it is not your body, but an independent living being.”

WIFE-ABUSER

Carlos Flores

mother of his three children.

Sanchez himself is outright furious about it. He recently insisted: “It’s evil, it’s making use of the suffering of the victims without scruples nor principles.”

And ETA victims are equally unhappy. “The victims deserve to be treated with RESPECT,” wrote the sister of Gregorio Ordoñez, who was killed by ETA and heads up the victims association.

“Using a hashtag to trivialise the murder of so many innocent people, including my brother Gregorio, shows a lack of principles and how

unimportant we are,” she added. As for the man who carried the sign first using the phrase, no one has been able to track him down. But sources at El Confidencial claim he is a keen Vox supporter.

Whoever he was, he has created a slogan that has likely done untold damage to Pedro Sanchez and his electoral hopes.

As fellow politician, Pablo Iglesias, the former deputy prime minister and founder of Podemos, insisted: ‘the phrase has won the elections’.

Carlos Flores, who led the party’s list for the Parliament of the Valencian Community, was sentenced for gender violence in 2002.

Although many VOX members, including Marta Fernandez, don’t believe in gender violence, Flores was convicted for this offence as he ‘insulted, coerced and harassed’ his ex-wife, a staggering 21 times a court heard.

The 59-year-old was handed a prison sentence and given a threeyear restraining order against the

According to the court sentence, he once told her ‘I will be screwing you all your life until you die and I am done with you.’

Flores - who is also coincidentally a former member of pro-Franco party Fuerza Nueva - was forced to step down from the PP-VOX coalition for the Valencian Parliament because of his conviction…

However, it has not stopped leader Abascal placing him as number one in the list for the Valencian Community in the general election. Be careful what box you tick, fine people of Valencia!

The polls put the conservative PP in the lead, but deals will likely have to be done with farright Vox in order to govern

WATER VOTE WINNER?

THE Conservative opposition Partido Popular (PP) will create a National Water Authority to deal with Spain’s water supply issues for farmers and other sectors should it win the July 23 general election.

The proposal would provide ‘governance, investment, and management’ solutions to water problems right across Spain as the country grapples with the worst drought in decades.

A potential PP government would want a uniform approach to water policy and to do away with local governments coming up with ad hoc initiatives.

Its manifesto also talks about ‘the use of technologies to optimise resources’.

Despite opposition from some environmentalists, the party feels that defending farming and irrigation is a potential vote winner ahead of the snap

Climate goals

THE Spanish government has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 32% of its levels in 1990, after receiving a backlash against the previous target of 23%.

The decision came after pressure from Greenpeace España, which has brought two lawsuits against Madrid demanding a 55% reduction of emissions.

They accused the government of failing to create a national climate strategy for the end of 2030 required by EU law.

The Spanish government countered they are not bound by law to meet a specific reduction percentage and the Ukraine invasion has led to a step back in climate change efforts.

By Alex Trelinski

election.

The PP, led by Alberto Nuñez Feijoo, wants the ‘participation and collaboration’ of the regional governments along with a ‘scientific and social consensus’ to set up the new national body. It also aims to make the maintenance of irrigation for agriculture compatible with natural areas like the Doñana Natural Park, and those badly affected by farming overexploitation such as the Mar

The PP hopes to win the agricultural vote

Menor lagoon. The commitment to irrigated crops is clear with the PP electoral programme: “We will promote a modern and sustainable irrigation, efficient in the use of water and energy, which generates an agriculture of greater added value and capacity to generate employment.” It also mentions collaboration with the 17 regions and municipalities for a ‘more efficient’ use of water and fertilisers in irrigation and to modernise supply channels to cut water losses in distribution chan-

Cooling plant

nels.

The PP plan talks of ‘priority investments’ for sanitation, supply, and flood control, as well as ‘guaranteeing’ water needed for irrigation. The proposal also refers to a plan to modernise the country’s infrastructures and to use resources to minimize flood and drought risks. Over flooding the manifesto mentions the ‘prioritisation of restoring riverbeds, especially urban ones, which allow increasing the protection of people, property and the environment’.

ALICANTE is set to plant a swathe of new trees to help cool the city down.

The green areas are the brainchild of mayor Luis who wants to calm traffic in the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) .

The works on the Marva-Gadea axis are taking place until the end of the year, while works on the Paseo de los Martires de la Libertad will go on until September 4th.

Barcala also emphasised that trees that had been removed, including along Avenida de Jijona, were not gone for good but part of a tree replacement program.

“We are removing trees and replacing them with younger specimens. In fact, the 163 existing will be replaced by over 200.”

NOT FIRE….BUT ‘TYRE EXTINGUISHERS’

IT is quite amazing the way civil obedience can take on new formats.

Especially when it comes to climate protest.

Get this.

There is an international climate direct action group called The Tyre Extinguishers.

They target SUV vehicles as this type of vehicle has disproportionately high carbon emissions. Their aim is to ban large 4x4 vehicles in the world’s urban areas.

ATTACK THE POSH/MIDDLE CLASS AREAS (all you need is a lentil and a leaflet)

That’s what they say online, along with detailed instructions on how to stick a lentil or other type of pulse into the tyre valve of a car, then replace the cap, leaving it to bleed air overnight.

The activists / saboteurs then leave a leaflet on the windscreen with an explanation of why the owners have been targeted. The group is not the first to embrace this type of action .

Back in 2007 a Swedish group called ‘The Indians of the Asphalt Jungle’ targeted 1,500 SUVs. The Tyre Extinguishers kicked off last year and the movement is snowballing.

Last September the group claimed to have deflated over 600 tyres in the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, the Czech Republic and Canada.

Last month direct action started in Australia. The elegant upmarket zona de Sarrià in Barcelona was attacked last month.

The disciples of this group have now stepped their approach… many tyres are not just deflated, they are being slashed.

Vandalism in the name of climate action does not sit right with me.

The level of activity has increased since the lockdowns (Covid-19) have been lifted.

CHAOS IN MARBS

Just imagine the devastation that will happen if this movement takes hold in Marbella and Puerto Banus.

The Yummy Mummies will miss their Yoga classes. Mrs Oligarch will not get new nails.

Wayne will not be able to race between the speed bumps in his Wange Wover.

Oh dear, oh dear.

SOLAR PANELS

Green Matters By Martin Tye

ELEGANT: Upmarket areas targetted

SPANISH ELECTIONS

Vox threat looms over Gibraltar

IN the light of the upcoming parliamentary elections in Spain, residents of Gibraltar are seriously concerned about the settlement of the dispute over our territory. The right-wing radical party Vox has a real chance to seize power and start having a significant impact on the policy pursued by Spain. As you know, Vox representatives are actively promoting the idea of returning Gibraltar to Spanish sovereignty and even have paid special attention to this issue in their election campaign.

In their email, the deputies from Vox Santiago Morón and Manuel Acosta once again confirmed the intention of the right-wing radicals to conduct a policy of

Children’s poor future

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The first question would be – have you taken out life insurance?

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NATIONALIST

THREAT: Vox has Gibraltar in its sights

protecting the interests of Spain in Gibraltar. They are ready to work on restitution of the territories occupied, in their opinion, by the British Crown.

I READ the tragic story of the toddler who died trapped in a hot car on your website and found it a sobering metaphor to the behaviour of the human race towards its children in general.

We are in an escalating climate and ecosystems breakdown, and yet we are still pursuing the growth economics that deny us all a future.

Anyone who is aware of the cascading tipping points that are now falling fast will realise how irresponsible it is to bring a child into such a ‘lost cause’ scenario.

With our current attitudes and trajectory, all our children will experience insurmountable existential challenges in their lifetimes.

We have now denied them any sliver of a chance at enjoying stable climate and ecosystems, and yet we still perpetuate the economic model that is exacerbating the collapse.

As parents we have categorically failed, we need to recognise that we are all unfit as guardians.

Barbara Williams, Oxfordshire

In this regard, it is possible that the would-be right-wing government of Spain will exert significant pressure on all participants of this negotiation process, which can lead to extremely negative consequences for Gibraltar.

It is very important to take into account the fact that Spain has lots of leverage that can make the life of Gibraltarians much more complicated. There are the agreements concluded earlier with the EU which are under threat, being extremely important for the security of Gibraltar and the well-being of its residents.

Marie Ross, Gibraltar

Whereas life insurance provides a payment to your family.

You can tailor the life policy to your own requirements and create a bespoke life insurance policy – whether to cover the initial costs incurred on your death or give your family a lump sum to provide for their future.

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LA CULTURA

The Terra Mítica Amusement Park

For thrill seekers, this amusement park has a range of roller coasters and water rides.

It is only open during the summer season but offers activities that people of all ages can enjoy. Ticket prices and hours can be found here: https:// www.terramiticapark.com/

L’Aigüera Park

Adding to the blossoming environmental side to Benidorm, this man-made park offers an oasis from the fast-paced buzz of the resort. Its large walkway is lined with trees that give way to gardens and two auditoriums that host city events.

Beaches, nightlife and skyscrapers… but

lot more going on in Spain’s biggest tourist resort, writes Regina Roberts

IT’S best known for its stag parties and excessive boozing - not to mention its own TV programme. But there is a lot more going on in Benidorm than most people realise.

Spain’ biggest tourist resort - which receives between 10 to 15 million tourists a year - is surprisingly popular with Spanish visitors and has a distinctly middle class feel in many

The Serra Gelada Natural Park

There are many ways to connect with nature during your time in Benidorm, and this natural park is an ideal option for those looking to hike or catch scenic views.

On the trail, visitors can see the La Escaleta watchtower ruins and get a great view of the sea from the La Cruz lookout. This portion of the sea has a diverse marine environment, making it a great place to snorkel or scuba dive.

The church of San Jaime y Santa Ana

Located on the top of Benidorm’s old town, this 18th century church is dedicated to Benidorm’s patron saint. Inside there is a statue of the Virgen del Sufragio and the saint’s chapel. Unlike the rest of the city that boasts skyscrapers, the courtyard around the church speaks to the city’s past architecture.

parts.

The giant skyscraper resort, which is considered the ‘birthplace of package tourism’, was first launched as a holiday destination in 1925, but didn’t become popular until the 1950s and 1960s.

While in the 1980s and 90s, it garnered a reputation as being the preferred destination of British and

Maritime Cultural Centre

While art might not initially be on your mind in Benidorm, there is some art on offer at the cultural centre, which hosts art exhibits and workshops throughout the year.

Its large glass windows and location in the port makes it an ideal place to learn about local culture while taking a break from the heat. Entrance is free, so it is a great place to stop by anytime.

there is a

THE HIDDEN SIDE OF BENIDORM

German lager louts, it has massively cleaned up its act today.

Best known for its excellent beaches, it has a permanent population of 71,000 people, more than Ronda or Cuenca, and was the first place in Spain where women could wear a bikini.

Around 30 buildings reach 100 metres in height, while the Intempo building truly scrapes the sky at 187 m.

The fifth most visited place in Spain (after Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla and Palma), its first nightclub, Penelope

opened in 1968, while in 1970, CAP 3000 opened with a concert from Led Zeppelin. Today, the city boasts of being one of the most sustainable places in Spain.

It has many green spaces (see photo) and the resort has recently kick started a ‘green initiative’ to improve the environment. More than 200 trees were planted earlier this year to help with offsetting carbon dioxide absorption.

Town hall officials currently have other plans underway to improve cleanliness and the environment, including installing new underground bins and energy-efficient lighting. As the resort makes efforts to showcase how important the environment is to its tourism, a new side of Benidorm is being uncovered that moves away from its stereotypical elements. Here the Olive Press offers half a dozen interesting sites worth seeking out on a visit to Benidorm:

Balcony over the mediterranean

This lookout point with views over both Benidorm and the Med is one of its most popular landmarks. Although most people have no idea of its important historical significance, between the 14th and 17th centuries, a castle stood on the headland to protect the city from pirates. However, when the French took over the castle in the 19th century, the English navy destroyed it. Now, only leftover stone from the castle is visible on the balcony along with a small monument with cannons as a nod to its history.

Going down

INFLATION in Spain has dipped to below 2% for the first time since March 2021.

Inflation fell by more than one percentage point in June, reaching 1.9% year-on-year, down from 3.2% in May, with fuel, electricity and food price increases easing.

The June inflation rate puts Spain in a better place than most of its neighbours within the eurozone, where inflation reached 6.1% in May.

It’s a significant change from a year ago when inflation in Spain hit 10.8% in July 2022its highest level since 1985.

SME’s struggle

COSTS for SME have increased by 27% since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

And they crept up a further 2.2% in the first quarter of 2023.

A new report shows that labour costs have risen by 4.4% in the same period.

This has been put down to increases in social security contributions and minimum wage.

But the main struggle for SMEs is linked to energy prices.

While electricity prices fell by 3.5% in the first quarter of the year, they are still 107.8% more expensive than two years ago.

HEY! GETIR GOING

HOME grocery delivery company Getir has announced that it plans to get rid of its entire workforce in Spain - barely two years after the Turkish firm began operations in the country.

1,560 Getir employees in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Zaragoza, Sevilla and Malaga are set to lose their jobs as the company begins discussions with unions.

The redundancies will affect couriers, store and office staff.

Mañana mañana

A NEW survey seems to confirm what some might long have suspected: Spaniards prefer cushty government jobsfor-life over high-risk high-reward entrepreneurship. The polling, conducted by Funcas, found that only a

By Alex Trelinski

small minority of the Spanish public (13%) would advise a young person to become an entrepreneur and go into the private sector.

Jobs for life clocking off at 2pm: Spaniards prefer government jobs over entrepreneurship

Instead, over half would recommend young people to put their feet up in the public sector as civil servants.

The survey also reveals that 20% would advise young individuals to work as employees for others, 7% would suggest self-employment, and the remaining 13% were uncertain or opted for an alternative option.

The results surprised the researchers behind the study, Elisa Chuliá and Juan Carlos Rodríguez.

“It is striking that the proportion of respondents revealing a professional preference for the public sector exceeds the combined responses related to occupations in the private sector,” they said. They went on to speculate that preference for government

jobs may be rooted in a perception of increasing uncertainty across various aspects of life, particularly in the last decade.

The public sector offers stability and shorter working hours - often clocking off at 2pm - in a time of economic insecurity. It is also more compatible with other responsibilities and appealing to the rising value of leisure time.

However, the researchers voiced concern about the findings.

“Is a society that overwhelmingly encourages its young people to work in the public sector forgetting that the income to pay these civil servants depends decisively on private sector businesses and workers generating sufficient wealth?”

IN more great news for the purring Spanish economy, the jobless total has fallen by over 50,000, to 2,688,842 in June.

It is at its lowest level since 2008, just before the financial crash.

Government figures show that 54,541 new workers were registered in the Social Security system, making a total of 20,869,940 - the highest number ever.

And unemployment among people under 25 also fell by 3,552 last month, leaving the number at a new low of 184,491.

“These data are very positive,” Yolanda Diaz, Spain’s Ministry of Labour said. She insisted: “Unemployment has been reduced in all sectors and in every region of the country.”

Good job Electric incentive

SPAIN will pay back up to 15% of income tax to people who buy an electric vehicle before the end of the year in a bid to encourage sustainable driving.

The maximum income tax deduction would be €20,000.

“The aim is to place Spain at the forefront of Europe’s rollout of electric vehicles,“ said Economy Minister Nadia Calviño.

TIME TO CHILL

AS the weather heats up, nothing is more enticing than spending time in the water to cool down.

For those looking for a change from busy, sweaty beaches, there are dozens of natural bathing spots around in the Valencia region. Be they rivers, reservoirs or manmade pools, they offer an amazing alternative and usually with scenic views and a decent walk around them.

These naturally-forming hideaways, most within an hour or so of the

Change your cool down routine in Valencia with these dozen inland natural swimming spots, writes Regina

Roberts

coast, offer visitors the ability to not only swim, but also participate in watersports or hiking.

From adventure seekers to those just wanting to take a dip to cool down, there are so many options around Valencia.

TURIA RIVER PARK, TURIA

This large 27 kilometer river runs alongside a forest track, making it an excellent place to swim, go tubing, or participate in other water activities. It can be accessed through any of the Valencia municipalities through which the river passes and does not get too crowded due to the multiple entrance points.

BERCOLON WATERFALL, CASERIO LOS FELIPES

This waterfall on the outskirts of Tuejar is situated underneath a naturally forming rock bridge where those who are more experienced with rock climbing can abseil down the canyon to directly access the water. Otherwise, visitors can walk down the rocks in order to enjoy a more private swimming experience.

GORGO DE LA ESCALERA, ANNA

Near the village of Anna, you can directly access this natural pool from the car park by taking stairs that descend into the water. Apart from the pool, visitors can see the area's large waterfalls by walking the “route of the three waterfalls,” which begins in the village. You can see the natural attractions throughout the year but in the summer it costs two euros per person due to council regulations.

POR CLAR, ONTINYENT

Located three kilometers from the center of Ontinyent, this river consists of multiple pools with varying lengths. It can only be accessed on foot, bike, or by free bus service that runs from the local sports center on the weekends, but its clear waters and waterfalls make the area worth the journey. Due to its popularity, you must book your reservation in advance in July and August here.

Farewell masks

SPAIN has said goodbye to the last remaining Covid-19 pandemic restriction dating back to spring 2020.

Last week’s meeting of the Council of Ministers abolished mandatory mask wearing in areas like hospitals, health centres, and pharmacies. The wearing of masks on public transport was abolished in February and the 17 regional health ministries that form the Interterritorial Council voted in favour on June 23 to end all remaining mask wearing rules. Health Minister, Jose Miñones, said: “We have a totally different situation compared to 2020 with more than 90% of the population with a full dose of vaccination (105 million doses), and less than 1% of deaths and hospitalisations are down to Covid.”

He nevertheless appealed for mask wearing to continue when close to vulnerable people who have symptoms of infection, as well as in hospital ICUs.

LONG HOT SUMMER CONCERNS

THE government has announced plans for a new department to investigate and alleviate the effects of higher temperatures on human health.

Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera said that a Health and Climate Change Observatory will be set up to look at the impact of extreme weather. With summer temperatures reaching new highs, Ribera said vulnerable people like the elderly were at risk and more work is needed to understand how to prepare for longer, hotter summers. “We must investigate what happens to our bodies in response to the effects of climate change, in order to mitigate the consequences on our health,” Ribera commented.

Help our children

Authorities to take action as suicide rates among Spain’s teens soars

WITH rates of suicide creeping up alarmingly among teens in Spain, school teachers are being trained in techniques to support at-risk youth.

By Regina Roberts

The move has been driven by the shocking statistic that 2022 saw 84 young

LIVER CANCER BOOST

A NEW combination of immunotherapy treatment could be used to fight liver cancer, and tests on mice are underway.

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Liver cancer is one of the fastest growing cancer types and the sooner it is detected, the higher the survival rate.

Symptoms include loss of appetite or losing weight when you’re not trying to; increased tiredness; a lump on the right side of the stomach; and the skin or whites of the eyes turning yellow.

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War on mozzies

VALENCIA City’s pest control unit has been kept busy with 118 complaints about tiger mosquitoes in June alone.

The Patraix, Pobles del Sud and Quatre Carreres districts have seen the most interventions, with June the busiest month so far.

Visits to areas infested by mosquitoes involve a sweep of a radius of around 150 metres to eradicate the pest.

The unit works all year in the constant battle against the insect, with ditches and marshes of lakes inspected during the winter, as well as regular inspections of urban areas that are regarded as sensitive.

Guidance

adults take their own life, according to the INE - the highest rate since records began.

The soaring rate at which young people have reported an increase in feelings of loneliness, situations of violence or abuse, and depression are thought to be contributing factors. Psychologists with the Educational Inspec torate are deliver ing the training which it is hoped will reverse this worrying trend. All of the auton omous communi ties in Spain cur rently have suicide prevention plans in public and pri vate school en vironments as required by the law. These plans involve students risk fac warning employing specific measures for those who have exhibited suicidal tendencies.

However, psychologists are adamant that in order to make an impact within schools, the education system needs to incorporate professionals trained in prevention strategies

within schools. Leading psychology authorities, including the General Council of Psychology of Spain and The Official College of Psychology of Madrid, have been fighting to create the role of educational psychologist in all of the autonomous communities. Currently, it has only been implemented in eight of the 17. Another plan being proposed is the creation of a ‘student helper’ role across the community. Students chosen for this role are given the responsibility of watching out for warning signs amongst their peers as atrisk adolescents usually seek support from a trustpeer prior to authority figure.

The suicide rate among teens has continued to rise despite the passage of the Law for the Comprehensive Protection of Children and Adolescents approved in 2021. The law was designed to better protect young people from serious crimes against children.

OP Puzzle solutions

Quick Crossword

Across: 7 Beaches, 8 There, 9 Odium, 10 Cobwebs, 11 Monkhood, 13 Bees, 15 Time, 16 Unbutton, 19 Colonel, 20 Rifle, 22 Loser, 23 Species.

Down: 1 Mali, 2 Thimphu, 3 Psychoanalyse, 4 Stubs, 5 Tenement, 6 Senses, 7 Bloom, 12 Nameless, 14 Guarded, 15 Tackle, 17 Needs, 18 Inert, 21 Fail.

They include hospitals, health centres, transportation centres, and landscaped areas that have a historical presence of mosquitoes.

The council has been running the ‘Door to Door’ project since 2019 where neighbourhood associations, owner communities, and any individual resident can request information and training on the fight against tiger mosquitoes. The pest control unit also runs educational talks and workshops as well as distributing guidance to anybody who requests it.

Rescued from afar

AN 86-YEAR-OLD woman was rescued by police after her son called police from Belgium worrying why she wasn’t answering the phone. Rojales police found the woman lying on the floor and unable to get up after she suffered a fall. She had been laid prone on the floor for two days with no access to food or water. While there were no keys to get indoors, officers got in through a kitchen window and requested medical support. Paramedics stabilised her condition before she was taken to Torrevieja Hospital. Last month, police in Torrevieja rescued a woman, 78, who fell out of bed and spent three days lying on the floor.

In case you missed it

CONTRARY to all perceptions, last month was actually the second-rainiest June of the 21st century, according to Aemet.

Dead body

A GROUP of kids in Cantabria fulfilled the plot of many an 80s movie by stumbling across a dead body while playing around in an abandoned wasteland.

Tone deaf

THE speaker in the Congress of Deputies, Meritxell Batet, was forced to apologise for claiming that ‘most of the population has no problem paying their rent’.

O P LIVE RESS The

KISSED OFF

A BRAD Pitt fan suffered anguish after her dream of starring in a movie with the Hollywood icon turned out to be a very expensive fraud.

The middle aged Granada woman was wooed by a charming con man, posing as the A-lister, into an online relationship that ended up costing her €170,000.

The victim joined a Brad Pitt fan club on social media and, over the course of exchanges

BUS TO HELL

Heartbreak for Brad Pitt fan scammed out of fortune by smooth-talking imposter

By Alex Trelinski

with an online figure, began to believe that she was actually in direct contact with the actor himself.

The fake Brad Pitt sent her images of his alleged attendance

at red carpet premieres and even some photos with a message addressed directly to the money to fund the bogus production costs.

woman. He even made grand promises that he would come to Spain and make a movie with her, if she would just transfer him

Look but don’t touch

BEACHES along Spain’s east coast are reporting strange fried eggs appearing in their waters - but not ones you would be advised to eat.

Thousands of jellyfish that resemble huevos fritos have been appearing in increasing numbers, according to authorities. Warmer temperatures are thought to have caused the proliferation of this unique species.

And although bathers won't enjoy spotting one of them, it should be noted their sting has little or no effect on humans, at most mild burning sensation and irritation of the skin. Handily, the Spanish Ministry of Ecology recommends washing the affected area with sea water - something which should not be hard to find.

The woman's lawyer, Antonio Estella Aroza, said that the fraudster gained the 'trust, friendship and even the love of the victim' with a relationship that became almost like that of a couple.

However, over time the victim began to realise that the man’s promises were not materialising and that perhaps something was off. The penny eventually dropped for the fan, who instigated legal proceedings after she realised she had been scammed out of a six figure sum. Her solicitor has filed a legal complaint for fraud, identity theft, and money laundering, but no arrest has been made.

VETERAN rockers Kiss have been playing to adoring crowds in their trademark black-andwhite face paint and outlandish costumes since 1973. But the curtain was pulled away a little when the members of the band were snapped heading to their gig in Cartagena on an Alsa bus.

The scene - with Gene Simmons and company in full regalia looking bored - went a little way to puncturing the image of the septuagenarian rock gods.

Booze blast

DRIVERS on the AP-7 were treated to raining beer in the Valencia region. But they were too busy dodging the exploding kegs on the back of the beer lorry to get out and try to get a slurp.

The lorry had caught fire along the motorway between Corbera and Llauri and the barrels were blasting out the back as far as the opposite carriageway. Thankfully no one was injured in the incident but tragically a lot of beer went to waste.