TRAILBLAZERS TO TRENDSETTERS
A special four-page pullout February 2024
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Not far enough OPINION by Yzabelle
WHAT’S THE SCORE?
Spain ranks fourth
F
in the EU Gender
Equality Index and
Yzabelle Bostyn explains
why…
Bostyn
A STUDY released logical Research by the Spanish Sociolines after statingInstitute hit the headbelieve ‘women’s 44% of Spanish men far that it is now equality has gone so discriminating against men’. While 32% of women agreed, the majority, 67%, believe inequality remains ‘very’ or ‘quite’ In comparison, large. just 48% of men with this statement. agreed But why do Spanish men feel disenfranchised? Digging deeper that they think into the data, we can see at least, equal women have better, or every aspect of opportunities in almost life; from promotions work to educational at access. However, when en, they reportedthe survey asked womportunities were that they felt their op‘worse’. For instance, just 27% of men said en’s access to wompositions of political sponsibility were recompared to 47% ‘worse’ than men’s, of women. Responses like this follow recent vances in women’s adIn 2005, then primerights in the country. minister Jose Zapatero, introduced most advanced some of the world’s gender equality The move came laws. after an Andalucian woman, Ana Orates was burnt alive her own home by in an abusive ex partner who she had spoken out against on television.
EMALE equality in Spain had a big in 2023. year activities, the gender In December, Spanish Some 39% of Spanish imbalance flips. politicians Meanwhile, 70% men say they frequentproved an ‘Equal of Spain’s childcare Representation’ ap- ly take part in such activities, absences were granted designed to encourage work compared to that gender parity in Law just 33% of women. tics and business. they often sacrifice to women, showing politime at work to care for their families. It followed a landmark This category has try’s menstrual leave victory for the counalso contributed to Spain’s One in Europe to grant law, which was the first fourth place position, of the leave for women in- best, this areas where Spain performs the painful periods. creasing by 1.7 with points at women’scategory looks Despite all these since the 2020 index. health, life expectancy, rounding women’slaws, controversy surThe knowledge categohabits and access to sweep the country. rights continues to ry surveys not only serWhile some 67% ed- vices. women believe ucational achievement of discrimination remains While some 74% ‘quite large’ in the but the segregation of country, over Spanish men perSpanish men say Since then, subsequent of men and women equality has ‘gone44% of by ceive their governments So, how does Spain too far’. have also made subject studied. health to be ‘good’ or ‘very pared to other EU really perform when comIn Spain, women Most recently, strides towards equality. countries? The Olive Pedro Sanchez’s out- good’, compared investigates. number men in wing coalition introduced Press left to educa69% of women, a new ‘Equalitional attainment, With 76.4 points ty Law’ designed male life with 34% expectancy having degrees fourth in the EU’s out of 100, Spain ranks alent to positions of to create equal access is or their equiveconomic and and 23% currently years lower than some eight 6.2 points above Gender Equality Index. power. political in vocational trainwomen’s, at 80 years. ing. The figures Despite this, both for men are 32% has moved up twothe EU average, the country respectively. This, alongside places in the ranking and 21% years genders’ ‘healthy 2020. ing equality for other laws promotare equal, with men since Women life’ LGBTQ+ people, also outnumber and women enjoying 63 years of good The index is calculated sparked controversy men in the fields have education, health health. of Perhaps of different indicators based on a number and and and ruffled feathers across the country arts, representing welfare, humanities although this balance is due to the fact including time, knowlamongst the right edge, work, money, wing. almost half of univerthat women sity students. they have less timestick to healthier habits, Each of these is power and health. Many men are Although men represent to spend exercising - wrongly - seeing pared to men. using a variety of given a score worked out in laws as advantages comjust 25% these not offered to them. takes into accountdata, for instance, power ly this area, other studies indicateof students Some 79% avoid In fact, the so-called tobacco they great- sumption outnumber women the amount of ‘discrimination’ board members many Spanish men female counting in STEM compared to 69% and alcohol confor 65% of university subjects, ac- But only 38% of men. Although overall in high ranking companies. better described claim to be facing is students. of women the country take part in daily performs well in physical activity the GEI, it is still threatened by as the feeling of being Although Spain’s underperforming the slow eradication vegetables, 11% and eat sufficient fruits and areas and is important score may seem in various their privilege as of fewer than their high, the terparts. country has actually male counso where are Spanish to be aware of these, Women are not men. dropped five women thriving where are they struggling? places in the EU solutions for thegetting ‘more rights’ but and work ing, now standing rank- This domain looks at modern society. sexism that persists in women’s decision in 17th The improvement This becomes evident position. making power in political, of the country’s when we consider that almost 20% time This category looks score (+6.4) has social and economic been think inequality fewer men than women equal access to at of the main driversone still exists in the spheres. It seems that while country. ployment and emof Spain’s climb good Spain’s to fourth political are making it seemlaws and legislation working conditions place. equality has greatas women have more rights than men, well as the quantity This category ly advanced in for women is very the lived experience of women in full-time reers the amount considdifferent. cent years - women It is clear that work and the length Spanish women women spend of time account for 48% of their careers. perience high levels still excare, domestic doing of ministers, 42% of sexism in their Some daily lives. and social activities work employed in full time 14% fewer women are members of In my personal work com- standing ment and 46% of parliapared to men. experience, I am at 41% and 55% compared to men, regional warned not to walk respectively. still assemblies. On the career prospects Although Spain In the economic has im- indicator have been verballyhome alone at night, index, an EU wide proved sphere, 37% of directors of job quality, prosperity abused on Spain’s largest companies carry the burden in this area, women still rity, apps and been in and secu- Meanwhile, of care activities Spanish women catcalled while dating are women. mestic labour. own balcony. and do- men’s score 56 compared on my 57. to tral bank areboard members of Spain’s cenSome 41% of women Until women can split All of these statistics, care for family memHowever, in the 50/50. bers, elderly people is no doubt that live without fear, there world of sports and dicate that women’s though improved, in- story compared to 33% or those with disabilities, expectations Unfortunately, inequality still exists. TV, the couldn’t careers are to care for children. affected by Men representbe more different. Meanwhile, 64% of men. that remains init is unlikely the sexism 73% of decision A recent study of women do cooking Spanish society the country’s Olympic household cleaning makers in eradicated by laws. will be or Institute (INE) by Spain’s National Statistics sports organisations showed some 24% and more than their male everyday, some 20% aged A much deeper of women In the60% in publicly owned broadcasters. 24-49 with children counterparts. When it comes to required to makesocial intervention is domestic realm, resort to part-time work in social, leisure and women are still meaningful change, ing the effects of which will not create cultural parison order to care for their children in gender stereotypes, suffercom- oblige them to 4.7% of men. survey has uncovered.the backlash this which to sacrifice their free time and careers for their families.
H
HEALT
70 /100
GE ED
70.04 /100
WO
TIM
RK
E
75.4 /100
81.1 /100
91.2 /100
XXX
P
OWER
The Olive Press celebrates International Women’s Day by highlighting some of the most influential characters, both past and present, and how Spain stacks up on gender equality in our special pullout inside
OW KN L
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Ose's desire to provide ‘an innovative approach to the role of the M international stage, while incorporating a clear desire to connect with on the role of art at the beginning of this century, without shy commitment to the social issues surrounding cultural institutions’.
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OLIVE PRESS We have Faith BEAN COUNTER BETRAYAL FREE
A 67-year-old woman has been handed a stint in the slammer after being convicted of syphoning off company funds through her role as an accountant. Wendy Simpson spent eight months fraudulently transferring a total of €50,000 in cash to her personal bank accounts in the UK. Between August 2022 and April 2023 Simpson systematically snaffled up client funds to splurge on ‘frivolous needs such as clothes and a holiday.’
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February 21st - March 5th 2024
The jury was made up of representatives of the institutions and mem career in thefor international and local artistic sector: Joan Subirats, Depu Accountant jailed 20 Barcelona€50,000 City Council; Elsa Ibar, Director General of Cultural Heritag months for stealing to spend on ‘frivolous Catalunya;clothes Ainhoa Grandes, president of the Fundació MACBA; María and holidays’ Carrillo de Albornoz, Director General of Fine Arts of the Ministry o president of the Association of French National Museums, Grand Palai the MACBA Advisory Committee; João Fernandes, artistic director o
By Walter Finch
The unassuming bean counter had been looking at a maximum sentence of four years for the ‘premeditated and intricately planned’ operation. It meant she would have entered her eighth decade in a prison on the Rock. However, she pleaded guilty to the crimes having ‘accepted responsibility for everything’ and was sentenced to 20 months in prison. The pensioner has already served seven months behind bars since her arrest in July, and so has a little over a year left to run on her term. Simpson exploited her position as an in-house accountant at management services provider Capital Growth Limited to make 67 unauthorised transactions, 54 of which went directly to her own bank accounts. She then cooked the books, providing ‘incorrect and misleading’ account information to the directors of three client firms to cover her tracks. One director of a defrauded company only referred to his ‘disappointment and sadness’ in a
victim impact statement to the court. Defence lawyer Sean Gaskin pointed out to the court that Simpson had no prior convictions and suffered from ‘health issues.’ He added that her actions represented ‘a severe lapse of judgement which stemmed from a fear of loss of employment and financial hardship.’
Husband Simpson was arrested in July alongside her husband Peter West, 67, who was also charged with embezzlement and money laundering. But the bonds of marriage did not survive fraud charges from the Supreme Court of Gibraltar, and West quickly absconded from the peninsula. A Royal Gibraltar Police spokesman told the Olive Press: “He was reported for process for a money laundering offence at the same time as Wendy Simpson. “However, he failed to turn up in court and we believe he returned to the UK. A warrant for his arrest was issued – meaning if he returns to Gibraltar he will be arrested.”
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ROYAL FLIGHT: Faith has arrived in India MISS Gibraltar has arrived in India ahead of the 71st iteration of the Miss World pageant. Medical student Faith Torres, who studied at Oxford Brookes University, will represent the Rock in Mumbai alongside 120 other competitors vying for the coveted title. The preliminary rounds begin this week before the grand final on March 9. Faith will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of fellow Gibraltarian Kaiane Aldorino, who was famously crowned Miss World in 2009. Following her long flight to the Indian subcontinent, Faith visited both the Mahatma Gandhi memorial and the Gandhi Museum, where she was gifted a copy of the anti-colonial nationalist’s autobiography.
2
CRIME
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NEWS IN BRIEF Multinational bust AN Argentinian drug lord has been arrested as part of a ‘mega operation’ that took down his ‘cocaine empire’ of bars, nightclubs and sports centres in Marbella and Granada.
Steady income YOUNG narcos in the Campo de Gibraltar - one of the most depressed parts of Spain - can earn up to €4,000 for just 15 minutes work.
Bad cops A PAIR of brothers from Belarus evicted squatters from their flat in Barcelona - only for the police to come and arrest them and throw them in jail.
Greengrocers ALMOST two tonnes of hash destined for the United Kingdom have been seized in a raid on a smuggling gang operating out of the Costa del Sol.
A VICTIM of Spanish-based serial fraudster Mark Acklom won’t get any compensation from her bank after being conned out of £750,000. Barclays Bank says that a six-month internal investigation has shown that they are not liable to make Carolyn Woods any payment. Woods argued that since a Barclays worker and a former employee were arrested during the police investigation on suspi-
February 21st - March 5th 2024
EXPENSIVE ROMANCE
cion of conspiracy, the bank had failed in its duty of care to her as its customer. Neither of those probed were subsequently arrested. Mark Acklom, 50, moved to Spain with his Spanish wife Yolanda Ros in 2013 after a romance scam involving Woods. He duped her out of her life savings by
using the alias of Mark Conway who claimed to be a Swiss banker and MI6 agent. He persuaded Woods to move her money into a Barclays account and then got her, to transfer it all in a series of ‘loans’ into the account of an associate who was a former Barclays employee.
PARKED UP
THE so-called ‘cocaine chauffeur’ who spent €1 million of taxpayers’ cash on organising drug-fuelled parties for corrupt politicians has finally been jailed. Juan Francisco Trujillo last month admitted his role in the shocking €1billion ERE corruption scheme, which took place in the southernmost region of Andalucia between 2000 and 2010. Trujillo told judges how he spent up to €25,000 a month
Cocaine chauffeur is jailed for nearly five years after splashing public funds on drug-fuelled parties
on booze and cocaine for himself and his former boss, Employment Minister Javier Guerrero. At a rate of ‘five to 10 grams’ a day, he admitted he spent €1,475,000 in state subsidies over just a couple of years. He was today jailed for four years and nine months for
By Laurence Dollimore
embezzlement and a string of other charges, and is banned from public office for at least seven years. The sentence is much lower than the 14 years sought by prosecutors at a court in Sevilla, the region’s capital. His ex-boss, Guerrero, who died in 2020, played a central role in the criminal organisation, bribery and pilfering of around money laundering, with prosecu€680 million from tors also seeking a €30 million fine. public coffers as Broberg is the stepson of the local minister PP Marbella mayor Angeles responsible for disMuñoz, who was in a long-term tributing EU funds. relationship with his father Lars Trujillo colluded Gunnar Broberg, before his with Guerro to set death aged 80 last year. up bogus firms in
Stepped out of line THE stepson of the mayor of Marbella is facing 22 years in prison if he is convicted on a string of drug trafficking charges. Joakim Peter Broberg, 51, is accused of leading a marijuana smuggling operation between Morocco, Spain and France. Among the charges are leading a
Narco cop trial A TOP counternarcotics officer is on trial over allegations he bribed a fellow officer. Lieutenant Colonel David Oliva, the highly decorated leader of a special task force in the Campo de Gibraltar, is accused of recruiting a fellow officer to be his mole. The former head of OCONSouth dangled a position in his crack unit to the officer in exchange for spying into an internal investigation into Oliva’s relationships with the region’s drug trafficking groups.
Rumours
order to benefit from a Brussels subsidy of €450,000 per company. The millions of euros in EU funds were then snaffled up and spent on coke for himself and Guerrero, who had awarded him the cash, as well as purchasing land and building a house. He also spent €70,000 on paintings, watches, a piano, clothes and mobile phones. “I continue to admit my guilt,” Trujillo previously told the court, after avoiding jail when an official judicial investigation into the scandal concluded six years ago.
The investigation sprang up in response to rumours that Oliva had attended a party thrown by the drug gangs he was supposed to be fighting. OCON-South was abruptly disbanded in 2022 by Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska. The elite group of around 150 agents were stationed in the Port of Algeciras and had enjoyed great success in staunching the flow of drugs into Cadiz. However, three months after the outfit was disbanded in September 2022, Oliva’s mole - identified as JABP - was arrested.
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February 21st - March 5th 2024
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Zorra in the dog house A FEMINIST association has collected more than 1,500 signatures in a bid to cancel Spain’s controversial Eurovision entry, Zorra. The song from Alicante duo Nebulossa was chosen as the winning entry at this year’s Benidorm Fest. Zorra, however, has caused controversy due to its lyrics and its title, which means ‘vixen’ in Spanish but can also be used as an insult similar to ‘bitch’.
In response, the MFM Madrid feminist movement has launched a petition about a song that it claims ‘represents a sexist insult and is a trivialisation of violence against women’. For its part, the band Nebulossa (pictured) has defended its song. “The word zorra is going to start to be seen in a different way,” said singer Mery Bas. “People say it freely, we have totally redefined it,” she added.
DOUBLE FAULT
Rafa Nadal in hot water after criticising equal pay for men and women in the world of sports RAFAEL Nadal has sparked a backlash after doubling down on his belief that women in sports should not automatically be paid the same as men. The Grand Slam champion, 37, was talking to La Sexta presenter Ana Pastor to discuss the opening of his new tennis academy in Malaga. However questions soon turned to recent controversial topics, including his collaboration with Saudi Arabia and his thoughts on the gender pay gap in sports. Pastor told Nadal that he seemed ‘uncomfortable’ at
By Laurence Dollimore
the mention of feminism. The Mallorca native - who has won €125.2 million in his career - has previously said he is against women and men being paid the same in tennis. Nadal told Pastor: “Not at all, what I am not is a hypocrite to say that these things are easy, and I don't think they are. “Investment? The same for men and women. Opportunities? The same. The same salaries? No, for what? “What is unfair is that there are not equal oppor-
POWERING IN tunities. If you're saying that being a feminist is believing that a man and a
TREND SETTER HE is more used to wearing Armani, but now famously elegant actor Luke Evans (far left) will be able to show off his own line of clothes. The Welsh star and his Spanish boyfriend Fran Tomas (left) have teamed up with stylist Christopher Brown to launch a menswear brand called BDXY. It will feature outfits inspired by the screen legends of Old Hollywood, concentrating on basics and everyday essentials. Evans, who is the star of major movies such as The Hobbit, Beauty and the Beast and Fast & Furious 6 confirmed his relationship with Tomas back in December 2020. Tomas, who is originally from Alicante, works as a project manager in the construction sector.
woman deserve exactly the same opportunities, then I can say that I am a feminist. “But equality for me is not based on awarding for awarding’s sake, equality resides in if Serena Williams generates more than me, I want Serena to earn more than me.” Williams is the leading woman having won €88.2 million in her career. Some users of X blasted Nadal’s comments as machismo, or sexism, while others backed him, with one writing: “It’s not fair that someone who generates more sales from tickets and t-shirts earns the same as someone who generates much less.”
FANS of legendary Australian rock band AC/DC are in for a treat later this year, when the group pays a visit to Spain. As part of their Power Up European Tour 2024, the authors of Thunderstruck and Highway to Hell have chosen Sevilla for their only Spanish date on May 29 at the Estadio de la Cartuja Vocalist Brian Johnson will be on the mic, with guitarists Angus Young, Stevie Young and drummer Matt Laug. New bassist Chris Chaney will be taking over from original band member Cliff Williams. The tour will kick off on May 17 with gigs in Germany and Italy, before the Spain concert on May 29. The band will then travel to the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, England, Slovakia, Belgium, France and Ireland.
On the prowl A PAIR of Sri Lankan leopards called Uda and Okanda have a new home at Bioparc Fuengirola after transferring there from French zoos. The Sri Lankan leopard is in danger of becoming extinct, with less than 800 left in the jungle. Numbers have fallen due to poaching and the destruction of their natural habitat, namely rainforests.
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GIBRALTAR has high hopes that it will finally be removed from the Financial Action Task Force’s ‘grey list’ when the group meets in Paris this week. The Rock was placed on the watch list of the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog in June 2022. Since then, officials have strived to comply with 98 recommendations to tighten the holes in its money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing processes.
Action FATF announced in October that Gibraltar had ‘substantially completed’ its action plan and agreed to send an inspection team in person to check compliance. It originally fell foul over two issues: the need for more robust regulatory sanctions - particularly in the legal and gambling sectors - and the need for more effective final asset restraints arising from money laundering investigations by law enforcement agencies. “As we continue our planning, we remain focused and committed to Gibraltar's continued compliance with FATF standards in our efforts to secure Gibraltar's delisting and always remaining white-listed,” said Nigel Feetham, the Minister for Justice, Trade and Industry.
Booster shot MEASLES shots are on offer once again after an escalating outbreak of the highly contagious disease in the United Kingdom. The Gibraltar Health Authority (GHA) is offering the MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) vaccine to individuals who are either unvaccinated or have not received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine. Measles is an airborne viral infection transmitted through coughs, sneezes, and even breathing. It begins with symptoms such as high fever, coughing, red watery eyes, and a runny nose, followed by the appearance of small white spots in the mouth and a rash that spreads from the face to the rest of the body.
THE Barbary macaque who ‘invaded’ Spain has been returned to his home on the Rock. The male monkey, newly christened ‘Sir Kingsway’, went viral after spending some time in La Linea after crossing the border. The animal successfully evaded capture for two days, roaming on the roofs of local schools, before members from Gibraltar’s macaque management team were able to capture the primate. ‘Sir Kingsway’ has now been reunited with his fellow mammals after receiving medical treatment from vets. He has also been microchipped following his cross-border escapade, as authorities hope to prevent a repeat of his Spanish adventure.
February 21st - March 5th 2024
Bets won
REUNITED: Sir Kingsway (inset) is back with his troop
STITCH UP Expats’ retirement dream ruined by shock €11,200 tax bill dating back three decades A BRITISH couple’s retirement dreams have been shattered after their lawyers failed to pick up an ‘outstanding’ property tax that only emerged 26 years later. John Stephenson, 75, and wife Kathy, 78, are stunned that the ‘unfair’ €11,200 levy was applied last year. The ‘theft’ by the Hacienda tax authorities has nothing to do with them, they insist. It should have actually been paid by the previous owners of the three-bedroom property in 1996 - SEVENTEEN years before they bought it. But this didn’t stop the taxman deducting it from the €375,000 they received from the sale of the Costa del Sol home in May. The former estate agents who closed their Marbella firm due to Covid in 2022 - had decided to downsize from San Pedro to Tarragona (Catalunya). They calculated the sale, plus other investments, would take care of them through retirement. However, the outstanding IBI (rates) bill from 1996 has left them ‘financially short’. They had bought the proper-
Kim’s gong run GIBRALTAR runner Kim Baglietto made history at the weekend after breaking the territory’s female marathon record in Sevilla. Kim, who is also Gibraltar’s Road Runner League champion, became the first woman from the Rock to smash the three hour barrier. The 31-year old completed the Sevilla marathon in a mightily impressive time of two hours, 59 minutes and 50 seconds. She is now the Gibraltar national record holder for the 800m, 1500m, 5,000m, 10,000m, half marathon, and full marathon.
By Walter Finch
ty in 2013 and hired a legal firm to do the conveyancing. “Our lawyers obviously didn’t do a proper job as they assured us there was no debt on the house, we made sure of that,” John told the Olive Press. “The money was meant to pay off our car loan and other debts. Instead, we are struggling to pay them - at an age when we should be enjoying our retirement. “When our lawyer gave us the news, I said there must be some mistake. In fact I was devastated by it.” His lawyer, Alvaro Moreno, of Armo Legal Services, admitted the case was ‘quite strange’. “Normally these things come to light when you’re going through with the purchase, but there was no mention of the debt on the title deed,” he told the Olive Press this week. The problem, he admitted, was t h a t the outstanding debt was only
THE Gibraltar government has been meeting top executives of the gambling industry. The sector contributes to a staggering 28% of Gibraltar’s GDP, making the Rock’s livelihood dependent on its continued presence and success. Minister for Justice Trade and Industry, Nigel Feetham KC MP has met with Stella David, the CEO of Entain Group, and Per Widerstrom, her counterpart at 888 plc. These meetings come at a crucial time as 888 plc, having acquired the William Hill brand, is in the process of integrating the two giants within Gibraltar's business landscape. Similarly, Entain has been navigating through its own structural transformations, highlighting the changing nature of the sector within the region. The companies are not only pivotal in economic terms but also play a significant role in the local community’s prosperity. The discussions between Minister Feetham and the industry leaders covered critical areas such as regulation, taxation, and the operational enhancements necessary for sustaining Gibraltar's competitive edge in the gambling sector.
RIP ANNE
DREAM TURNED TO NIGHTMARE: Massive tax paid on sale of their home has left John and Kathy Stephenson out of pocket
being posted on the official public buletin for Andalucia ‘at least once every four years’, meaning it stayed valid. It is normally the responsibility of the lawyer handling the sale - in this case Moreno’s former partner, Rafael Arevalo. But, it turns out Arevalo was not acting as John’s legal representative in the purchase. While an email chain seen by the Olive Press shows Arevalo acting as ‘Mr Stephenson’s Lawyer’, he oddly only signed the title deeds to the ANGRY: John feels property as betrayed by his lawyers ‘a witness’.
Tuna crackdown GIBRALTAR’S bluefin tuna quota is set to come under scrutiny as the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) cracks down on territories that are not signatories to its international convention. The Rock currently manages its own quota, which last year was set at 25 tonnes. Attempts to reach a new agreement have been hampered by sensitivities around British Gibraltar territorial waters which Spain does not recognise.
It was something John failed to pick up on at the time due to not knowing the Spanish word for ‘witness.’ And as a witness, it means Arevalo was ‘not liable’ for failing to find the outstanding charge. “If I’d wanted a witness, I could’ve got anyone off the street to do it,” insisted John. The Olive Press has been unable to get in contact with Arevalo to clarify the situation and the ex partners at Armo Legal are ‘no longer on speaking terms’. “This is totally unacceptable,” insisted well known property lawyer Antonio Flores, who runs Lawbird, in Marbella. He insisted it is completely up to Arevalo and Moreno to prove they correctly did the due diligence in 2013 - and not the other way round. “The lawyers have to prove they did everything right,” he said. “They have to show that they looked in all the right places. “They should’ve fought harder against this mystery tax bill. John and Kathy shouldn’t give up.” Opinion Page 6
THE much-loved founder of the Brexpats in Spain support group Anne Hernandez has died. Tributes have poured in for the ‘tireless’ campaigner following her death from a short illness. Anne worked tirelessly to help the hundreds of thousands of Brits whose lives were upended by the Brexit vote, for which she was awarded an MBE in 2021. She worked closely with the Olive Press in recent years, and wrote a column for a time. Publisher Jon Clarke said: “Anne was tireless in her work and a true inspiration to the expat community. “We worked very hard together to campaign against Brexit from Spain, and I always admired her tenacity. “Despite not getting the result either of us wanted, Anne dedicated years to helping Brits deal with the fallout. My condolences to Anne’s friends and family.”
‘Traitor’ killed A RUSSIAN pilot who was assassinated in a car park in Alicante has been branded a ‘traitor’ and a ‘moral corpse’ by Vladimir Putin’s Foreign Intelligence Service. Maxim Kuzminov, 28, was found shot dead in Villajoyosa last week, just metres below tourist apartments on the Costa Blanca. The death, if found to be ordered by Russia, would be an unprecedented attack carried out on Spanish soil.
GREEN
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Powered up REPSOL has started generating electricity at its 204MW Sigma solar project in Andalucia - its first renewable venture in the region. The project in Jerez de la Frontera includes five individual solar plants, which have now been connected to the grid and are in their commissioning phase. Together they will generate 430GWh of renewable energy annually, sufficient to power 43,000 households while removing 191,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. The Sigma project was built with an investment of €150 million and created 500 jobs during its construction phase. It is Repsol’s third solar farm in Spain, adding to sites in the Ciudad Real and Badajoz areas.
February 21st - March 5th 2024
RING OF FIRE
How the Atlantic ocean will ‘close’ in the Strait of Gibraltar and form a new mountain range filled with volcanoes and earthquakes IT will begin in the next 20 million years, a short period of time in geological terms. Although the water body is not shrinking or disappearing, Eurasian and African tectonic plates are converging, causing the Atlantic Ocean to become narrower at the Strait of Gibraltar. In millions of years, this process could eventually lead to the closure of the Atlantic Ocean, forming a new mountain range.
GREEN DELIVERY
History, adventure and romance. That’s just the setting.
FOR HEAVEN’S HAKE: Ecologists are demanding answers
Something fishy
By Yzabelle Bostyn
Using computational models, University of Lisbon researchers predicted plate tectonics underneath the Gibraltar Strait will move further into the Atlantic, causing a ‘ring of fire’. This refers to an area characterised by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. They form via ‘subduction zones’, where one t e c t o n ic plate is forced beTHE Spanish postal service has managed to cut down its CO2 emissions neath the in Andalucia by 215 tonnes annually with a new fleet of electric other, creatvehicles. The province of Malaga and the Costa del Sol acing intense counted for nearly a quarter of the region’s total, geological knocking 54 tonnes off Correos’ annual output of activity. greenhouse gases - beaten only by Sevilla (58 Currently, tonnes). there is a The duo were trailed by Cadiz (33.14 tonnes), ring of fire Cordoba (31 tonnes), Granada (19 tonnes), Alin the Pameria (9.47 tonnes), Jaen (7.07 tonnes) and cific Ocean Huelva (3.23 tonnes). stretchCorreos’ green fleet in Andalucia comprises 400 ing from electric vans, micro-hybrid vans, electric and hyAustralia brid cars, and electric motorcycles. to South America.
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ON SHAKY GROUND: African plate inches closer This area is home to 75% of our volcanoes and 90% of earthquakes occur there. The formation of subduction zones is part of a geological process known as the Wilson Cycle. Oceans are formed as tectonic plates move apart and together again over hundreds and millions of years. The Atlantic ocean was formed in this way after the breakup of the Pangaea megacontinent some 180 million years ago. If the Atlantic is to close, new subduction zones have
to be formed. However, they can also ‘migrate’ or ‘invade’ other areas and this is what is expected to happen in Gibraltar. Two other subduction zones currently exist in the Caribbean Lesser Antilles and the Scotia Arc, Antarctica. In both cases, they invaded the Atlantic several million years ago. Researchers predict the movement of plates in the Strait of Gibraltar could provide ‘invaluable’ information into how our planet has evolved geologically.
ECOLOGISTS have launched an investigation after thousands of dead fish were discovered on the shores of Estepona The ‘immature dead fish’ washed up on the La Rada beach, considered a Special Conservation Zone (ZEC) by the European Union. Now, a local ecology group, Ecologistas Sierra Bermeja, has demanded explanations for the ‘mass death’. The green activists lamented the situation in an Instagram post, saying the carcasses were strewn ‘all over the beach, from one end to the other’ with many ‘even in the waves’. It follows a similar occurrence in Fuengirola, leading the ecologists to question whether they were the result of a spill or ‘the surplus from a fishing boat’. They also speculated that the deaths could have been caused by a nearby wind farm. However, they disputed claims that the fish had been killed by predators. They have also urged authorities to take ‘responsibility’ and impose ‘relevant sanctions.’
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www.theolivepress.es Voted top expat paper in Spain
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.
OPINION In the dock YOU trust them to look after your best interests - especially when large amounts of money are involved. Lawyers are the first port of call when buying a property - especially if you do not speak the language or know the system. As our page 4 story (Stitch up) shows, retired estate agent John Stephenson, 75, and wife Kathy, 78, did everything right when they bought their property - at least they thought they did. They put their faith in lawyer Rafael Arevalo to navigate them through the sometimes choppy waters of buying a house. They thought all the proper searches were completed - the most important of which was to ensure there was no outstanding debt on their dream home when they bought it. All seemed well until 10 years later when they sold up to help finance their retirement. It was only then they were stung with an €11,200 bill for past IBI taxes that really should have nothing to do with them. They have had no option but to pay up. But what of their lawyer at the time of the sale? Arevalo should be held responsible for the mess they are in and his insurance should pay up for his oversight. After all it was literally his job to make sure they would not have any nasty surprises. Or - and here comes that phrase again - so they thought. It turns out that in all the documents, he signed as a ‘witness’ not as a legal representative. So, they hired a lawyer, he did the paperwork, but it is now claimed he was never actually representing them legally. And - as is so often the case with incompetent lawyers he is now nowhere to be found. And then there’s the lawyer today. As other lawyers consulted by this newspaper have suggested, Alvaro Moreno should have done more to contest the clearly unfair IBI payment. It is a story we at the Olive Press have heard time after time. ‘Professionals’ who expats trust are too often incompetent at best, corrupt at worst and never seem to face the music. Well they should be made to, in the dock if necessary.
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CRACKDOWN ON NOLOTIL
‘If he hadn’t gone to Spain he could still be alive’: British family of ‘first known Nolotil victim’ speaks out
T
HE British family of the first suspected Nolotil victim in Spain LIVING THE DREAM: but sadly James’s (left) KILL have recalled their heartbreaktime was cruelly cut short THE ing experience amid a growing DRUG campaign to crackdown on the ‘lethal’ painkiller. When James Hanley, 72, decided to move to Spain in 2016, he was dreaming of retirement in the sun. But within a year he would be dead, after taking Nolotil to numb his pain following successful cancer treatment. His story would go on to serve as a leading case study for a campaign to ban t h e drug, launched by medical legal expert Cristina del Campo. James, a former ferry steward, ‘had very good friends in Spain’ and went to visit them often before deciding to leave Ipswich in Just months didn’t think too much about it,” said Daniel. search of the expat dream. into his retire- But at the service, he reunited with Cristina His nephew, Daniel Preston, told the Olive Press: “He embraced it ment dream, the ‘bubbly’ expat, received del Campo, a medical translator who was and threw himself into the local community.” the shocking news he was suffering from ‘adamant’ that something wasn’t right with James’s case. James was ‘living his best life’ in Javea, Ali- rectal cancer. cante, getting a ‘nice’ apartment, adopting a After removing the tumour, James was given She said: “After James died they told me he Nolotil, also known as Metamizol, to combat also had sepsis amongst other things, I had stray cat and enjoying local restaurants. the pain of his cancer treat- heard that word recently, in relation to the death of an Irish woman. ment. All seemed well, until just days “I started looking into it and I began to see a pattern, everyone who died had taken Nolotil. later ‘he couldn’t breathe’. Back in the UK, concerned Many had sepsis and Fournier Gangrene.” family members urged James It is thought the drug reduces patients’ white blood cell count, leaving them to see a doctor Our postbag has been full since we vulnerable to infection. and he was imrevealed the Nolotil scandal condition, known as mediately hosAfter James’s The agranulocytosis, is believed pitalised. Great campaign! funeral the to be a result of genetic differDaniel flew to Alences in Northern European icante ‘not really family began I AM really pleased you are campaigning for the populations. sure’ what was banning of Nolotil. Cristina has now been fighting to question his wrong with his When I had a hip replacement operation at IMED Nolotil for the past sevuncle. in Benidorm in 2019, this was put in my drip bag untimely death against en years with her campaign The rapidly prountil I noticed, then told them to replace it. group the Association for Drug gressing illness I then contracted an infection in the hip, which Affected People (ADAF). was soon retook about two years to be eradicated but, obviousIt aims to compel health workers to stick to vealed to be a form of sepsis ly, I have no specific knowledge that it was because known as Fournier Gangrene, a 2018 directive which restricted the preof the Nolotil. an aggressive, flesh-eating scription of Nolotil for ‘short term use’, with Since then every time I go into a hospital or health ‘significant consideration’ of patients’ backdisease. centre, I tell them that I am allergic to Nolotil but grounds, including genetic vulnerability to “I remember at one point the very few note it on my records, so I have to be very bedsheets fell away and ex- dangerous side effects. aware in situations where it might be used. posed his body. It was horrific, When asked for comment, one company that Similarly, for Ibuprofen, as I am on Lixiana, a blood this flesh eating bug had ripped supplies metamizole in Spain, Boehringer thinner. That has to be closely monitored too! through his body and was eat- Ingelheim, said: “Agranulocystosis is a very John Price rare, adverse reaction that has been known ing away at him,” Daniel said. for decades and is well-de“It was clear to me that there Editor’s note: Keep taking care! As a clariscribed in the medicine was no stopping it, it was too fication, we are not calling for Nolotil to be package information.” aggressive. And sure banned, but rather that the official guidenough, we went ance be followed and Nolotil not be prehome due to work scribed to Northern Europeans. commitments and a few days later Dr’s advice he was gone,” said Daniel. I WAS prescribed Nolotil 575mg capsules in For James’s sisJune this year. But when I spoke to my huster, Bridget, the Sign our petition to band’s doctor in the hospital she told me not news came as a providers to stop giving urge healthcare to take them. the ‘lethal’ terrible shock. to northern Europeans painkiller She explained they are not for British or The care worker, THE Olive Press has launch Scandinavians, they are for Spanish people. who stayed in Eshealthcare providers to stop ed a petition to urge Spanish So I never took them, in fact I still have them sex due to a fear giving Nolotil to northern european patients. untouched. of flying, said it Als o kno wn Mrs Carol Dundridge as me tam was ‘absolutely izole, Nolotil is a popular painkiller in Spain. awful’ to not be However, it is known to cau able to be there se agr anu locytosis, or seNo effect verely low white blood cell for her ‘beloved’ patients, leading to organ count, in northern European failu re, sepsis and gangrene. brother. The drug has been linked I SUFFERED extreme pain from a rib fracture It wasn’t until and Irish people in Spain. to at least 40 deaths of British and was prescribed painkillers that had no efJames’s funeral Despite a 2018 informative fect. The doctor at the Ciudad Patricia care that the family Medicine Agency advisin note issued by the Spanish home then prescribed Nolotil. I took seven and began to quesadminister the drug to norg medical professionals to not still had pain. However I am still alive, having thern europeans, people kee tion his untimedyi ng. p not suffered any apparent side effects. Yet ly death. still, rea der s contact us everyday say I wonder if the fact that I am half Italian has ing they have been offered the drug. “We just made me immune to the severe side effects sufThat’s why we’ve launched thought it was fered by many expats. a cam paign urging medical professionals to comply with a really unforPamela Murphy If you agree that it should be the 2018 advice. tunate case at tition, go to Change.org andfollowed, please sign our pefirst and we search Stop Nolotil Deaths.
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Not far enough OPINION by Yzabelle Bostyn
PROGRESS: Spain’s gender equality ranking has improved since 2020
WHAT’S THE SCORE?
Spain ranks fourth in the EU Gender Equality Index and Yzabelle Bostyn explains why…
TIM
WOR
Although Spain’s score may seem high, the country has actually dropped five places in the EU work ranking, now standing in 17th position. This category looks at equal access to employment and good working conditions as well as the quantity of women in full-time work and the length of their careers. Some 14% fewer women are employed in full time work compared to men, standing at 41% and 55% respectively. On the career prospects index, an EU wide indicator of job quality, prosperity and security, Spanish women score 56 compared to men’s 57. All of these statistics, though improved, indicate that women’s careers are affected by expectations to care for children. A recent study by Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE) showed some 24% of women aged 24-49 with children resort to part-time work in order to care for their children in comparison to 4.7% of men.
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75.4 /100
One of the areas where Spain performs the best, this category looks at women’s health, life expectancy, habits and access to services. While some 74% of Spanish men perceive their health to be ‘good’ or ‘very good’, compared to 69% of women, male life expectancy is some eight years lower than women’s, at 80 years. Despite this, both genders’ ‘healthy life’ years are equal, with men and women enjoying 63 years of good health. Perhaps this balance is due to the fact that although women stick to healthier habits, they have less time to spend exercising compared to men. Some 79% avoid tobacco and alcohol consumption compared to 69% of men. But only 38% of women take part in daily physical activity and eat sufficient fruits and vegetables, 11% fewer than their male counterparts.
H
HEALT
70 /100
Meanwhile, 70% of Spain’s childcare work absences were granted to women, showing that they often sacrifice time at work to care for their families.
91.2 /100
This domain looks at women’s decision making power in political, social and economic spheres. Spain’s political equality has greatly advanced in recent years - women account for 48% of ministers, 42% members of parliament and 46% of regional assemblies. In the economic sphere, 37% of directors in Spain’s largest companies are women. Meanwhile, board members of Spain’s central bank are split 50/50. However, in the world of sports and TV, the story couldn’t be more different. Men represent 73% of decision makers in the country’s Olympic sports organisations and 60% in publicly owned broadcasters. In the domestic realm, women are still suffering the effects of gender stereotypes, which oblige them to sacrifice their free time and careers for their families.
81.1 /100
P
ER OW
70.04 /100
This category has also contributed to Spain’s fourth place position, increasing by 1.7 points since the 2020 index. The knowledge category surveys not only educational achievement but the segregation of men and women by subject studied. In Spain, women outnumber men in educational attainment, with 34% having degrees or their equivalent and 23% currently in vocational training. The figures for men are 32% and 21% respectively. Women also outnumber men in the fields of education, health and welfare, humanities and arts, representing almost half of university students. Although men represent just 25% of students in this area, other studies indicate they greatly outnumber women in STEM subjects, accounting for 65% of university students.
OWLE KN
The improvement of the country’s time score (+6.4) has been one of the main drivers of Spain’s climb to fourth place. This category considers the amount of time women spend doing care, domestic work and social activities compared to men. Although Spain has improved in this area, women still carry the burden of care activities and domestic labour. Some 41% of women care for family members, elderly people or those with disabilities, compared to 33% of men. Meanwhile, 64% of women do cooking or household cleaning everyday, some 20% more than their male counterparts. When it comes to social, leisure and cultural activities, the gender imbalance flips.
E
Some 39% of Spanish men say they frequently take part in such activities, compared to just 33% of women.
DGE
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EMALE equality in Spain had a big year in 2023. In December, Spanish politicians approved an ‘Equal Representation’ Law designed to encourage gender parity in politics and business. It followed a landmark victory for the country’s menstrual leave law, which was the first in Europe to grant leave for women with painful periods. Despite all these laws, controversy surrounding women’s rights continues to sweep the country. While some 67% of women believe discrimination remains ‘quite large’ in the country, over 44% of Spanish men say equality has ‘gone too far’. So, how does Spain really perform when compared to other EU countries? The Olive Press investigates. With 76.4 points out of 100, Spain ranks fourth in the EU’s Gender Equality Index. 6.2 points above the EU average, the country has moved up two places in the ranking since 2020. The index is calculated based on a number of different indicators including time, knowledge, work, money, power and health. Each of these is given a score worked out using a variety of data, for instance, power takes into account the amount of female board members in high ranking companies. Although overall the country performs well in the GEI, it is still underperforming in various areas and is important to be aware of these, so where are Spanish women thriving and where are they struggling?
A STUDY released by the Spanish Sociological Research Institute hit the headlines after stating 44% of Spanish men believe ‘women’s equality has gone so far that it is now discriminating against men’. While 32% of women agreed, the majority, 67%, believe inequality remains ‘very’ or ‘quite’ large. In comparison, just 48% of men agreed with this statement. But why do Spanish men feel disenfranchised? Digging deeper into the data, we can see that they think women have better, or at least, equal opportunities in almost every aspect of life; from promotions at work to educational access. However, when the survey asked women, they reported that they felt their opportunities were ‘worse’. For instance, just 27% of men said women’s access to positions of political responsibility were ‘worse’ than men’s, compared to 47% of women. Responses like this follow recent advances in women’s rights in the country. In 2005, then prime minister Jose Zapatero, introduced some of the world’s most advanced gender equality laws. The move came after an Andalucian woman, Ana Orates was burnt alive in her own home by an abusive ex partner who she had spoken out against on television.
Advances
Since then, subsequent governments have also made strides towards equality. Most recently, Pedro Sanchez’s left wing coalition introduced a new ‘Equality Law’ designed to create equal access to positions of economic and political power. This, alongside other laws promoting equality for LGBTQ+ people, have sparked controversy across the country and ruffled feathers amongst the right wing. Many men are - wrongly - seeing these laws as advantages not offered to them. In fact, the so-called ‘discrimination’ many Spanish men claim to be facing is better described as the feeling of being threatened by the slow eradication of their privilege as men. Women are not getting ‘more rights’ but solutions for the sexism that persists in modern society. This becomes evident when we consider that almost 20% fewer men than women think inequality still exists in the country. It seems that while laws and legislation are making it seem women have more rights than men, the lived experience for women is very different. It is clear that Spanish women still experience high levels of sexism in their daily lives. In my personal experience, I am still warned not to walk home alone at night, have been verbally abused on dating apps and been catcalled while on my own balcony. Until women can live without fear, there is no doubt that inequality still exists. Unfortunately, it is unlikely the sexism that remains in Spanish society will be eradicated by laws. A much deeper social intervention is required to make meaningful change, which will not create the backlash this survey has uncovered.
I
WHAT’S THE HISTORY OF IWD? nternational 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.
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February 2024
A WOMAN’S INFLUENCE
1908 Great unrest and critical debate was occurring among women. 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.
1910 A second International Conference of Working Women PIONEERING: New was held in Copenhagen. A woman named Clara Zetkin (Leader of the ‘Women’s Office’ for the Social Democratic York suffragettes Party in Germany) tabled the idea of an International Women’s Day every year on the same day in every country.
Queen Letizia is among the most influential women in Spain - but how many of the others do you know?
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HEN Forbes released its second list detailing Spain’s most influential women it highlighted Queen Letizia, Spain’s Women’s Football team and singer Rosalia. But the magazine’s list, designed to ‘celebrate women’s success and educate future generations’ is full of inspirational Spanish women most people don’t know about. Here we reveal some of the lesser known people honoured, as well as their more famous sisters…
1911 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, hold public office and end discrimination.
1913 LEADER: Clara Zetkin
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 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. CUFFED: Pankhurst
1996 The UN adopted an annual theme in 1996 - ‘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.’
2000
POWER: UN backs IWD
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.
2001 The global internationalwomensday.com digital hub was launched to re-energise the day as an important platform to celebrate the successful achievements of women and to continue calls for accelerating gender parity.
2011 WEBSITE: For IWD
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.
HELP: From Hillary
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.
QUEEN LETIZIA OF SPAIN A journalist and divorcee, Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano has broken royal taboos as Queen of Spain. Before her coronation she was awarded the Madrid Press Association’s Larra Prize as the year’s most outstanding journalist under 30. As Queen she advocates for youth education, scientific research and greater awareness of rare diseases.
PIONEERING VOICES Spain’s early feminists and suffragettes
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PAIN at the end of the 19th century was undergoing a massive economic and social upheaval - and women wanted a piece of the action too. The country saw the emergence of a band of courageous feminists and suffragettes who fought for social, political, and economic justice. But it would be a long road before they were to get the vote - and in many ways they had to wait until the death of Franco in 1975 before the deep-set conservatism that kept women ‘in their place’ began to give way. This is a process that is still continuing with modern day women fighting their own battles. A wave of feminist thought had begun to take root in the late 19th century, with works like Emilia Pardo Bazan’s The Feminist Question (La Cuestion Feminista) published in 1892, serving as a catalyst for discussions on women’s rights, education, and equality. Another pioneering figure was Concepcion Arenal, whose writings and activism challenged traditional gender roles and advocated for women’s education and legal reforms. Her work was in many ways key to the growth of subsequent feminist movements in Spain. In 1918 - the same year as Germany agreed to extend the vote to women in time for the 1919 elections and women over 30 in the UK got the vote - the Asociacion Nacional de Mujeres Españolas (National Association of Spanish Women) was founded by Consuelo Gonzalez Ramos. It attracted leading figures including Clara Campoamor and Victoria Kent. Born in Madrid, Campoamor was one of the first women to enter Parliament in Spain and had a long history of feminism and campaigning for universal suffrage.
2024 MARCHING: Annie Lennox in London
By Yzabelle Bostyn
CAMPAIGNERS: Clara Campoamor (above) and Victoria Kent fought for women’s rights
GROUNDBREAKERS: Emilia Pardo Bazan (above) and Concepcion Arenal (right) During the 1931 elections women could not vote but they could stand to be MPs. Campoamor and fellow lawyer Victoria Kent were the only two women elected. Their work on the Constitutional Committee helped to enshrine the principle that women had the same rights as men in the Spanish Constitution of 1931 - with one glaring disagreement. Malaga-born Kent, as a member of the Radical Socialist Republican Party, felt that it was too soon to allow women the vote. Far left thought at the time was that women tended to be too conservative and in thrall to the Catholic Church and so would most likely vote right wing. Campoamor, a member of the Radical Party, saw it as a human rights issue and was instrumental in achieving universal suffrage for women in time for the 1933 elections after ‘winning’ a debate with Kent. During the Franco era women nominally retained the right to vote - although voter lists became restricted to ‘heads of households’, usually men. Campoamor and Kent had already shown herself to be an inspiration to women. They were the first two female members of the Madrid Law Association having both broken through a glass ceiling by entering university to study law. Campoamor went into exile during the Civil War and died in Lausanne (Switzerland) in 1972 at the age of 82. Kent too was exiled and died in New York aged 96 in 1987.
a, 1974) will be the first woman to hold the position of Director of rani de Barcelona. She is currently Director and Chief Curator of s well as Lecturer in Visual Cultures at Goldsmiths, University of PRINCESS LEONOR OF ASTURIAS he Thought Council, Fondazione Prada. She has previously been Heir to the Spanish throne (right), the 18-year-old has been making headlines recently whilst completingof the Contemporary military ernational Biennial Art; Curator of International training. Described as ‘loyal’ by Forbes, the princess was praised for of her support n; Artistic Director Rencontres Picha - Lubumbashi Biennial, of the Spanish women’s side at the recent World Cup final. Leonor has studied in the Congo;UK,Curator of Contemporary Art at the Centro Andaluz de Arte attending prestigious private school UWC Atlantic College in Wales. ille; Senior Curator at Creative Time in New York; and Curator of THE SPANISH WOMEN’S FOOTBALL TEAM entro Atlántico Arteteam,Moderno (CAAM) in Las Palmas, Gran Although celebratingde the whole
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February 2024
Forbes highlighted the Balon d’Or winner Ataina Bonmati (far right) and teammate Salma Parallelo, who was crowned the best player of the tournament. The team, who beat the English side 1-0 in the World Cup final last year also received the Spanish Royal Award for Sporting Merit.
e Consortium of the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona e committee of experts, which especially valued Elvira Dyangani nnovative approach to the role of the Museum on the local and ROSALÍA Infusing flamenco and ELENA ARZAK is known for her tact in reaching agreements and pop, Rosalia (left) has con- to connect with contemporary corporatingquered a clear desire In 2012, Basquedebates her support for using regional languages in governthe charts at home chef Elena Ar- ment. In 2015, she became the first female leader and abroad, becoming the first zak was from crowned a of the Balearic Islands whilst raising two children as beginningSpanish of woman thisto appear century, without shying away firm on the ‘World’s Best Fe- a single mother. cover of Rolling Stone USA. male Chef’ in the Her Motomamicultural tour broke records, cover- World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards. sues surrounding institutions’. SARA GARCÍA ALONSO ing 21 countries and 2 million attendees. The Barcelona native’s logo has also appeared on her home team’s kit during the hotly contested El Clasico football match between Madrid and Barcelona.
Now, more than a decade later, she is as influential as ever. Her three-Michelin-starred restaurants are known for their relaxed vibe where local families have dined for generations. She comes from a Spanish culinary dynasty, following in the footsteps of three generations of chefs. Her dishes are known for preserving Basque traditions whilst adding flavours inspired by cultures worldwide.
The molecular biologist (below left) became the first Spanish woman to be selected for the European Space Agency reserve. Not only the first Spanish female astronaut, the scientist is also part of the National Cancer Research Centre and leads projects to find new drugs to fight lung and pancreatic cancer.
ELVIRA DYANGANI OSE Director of Barcelona modern art museum (left), the MACBA, the art historian proudly oversees a 90% female workforce. In 2022, the Turner Prize judge was included in ArtReview’s Power 100 list for her influence in the art world. FRANCINA ARMENGOL The President of the Spanish Congress, Francina Armengol
GLORIA LOMANA The Executive President of 50&50 Gender Leadership, journalist Gloria Lomana (below right) is a pioneer in female leadership and communications. In 2019, she founded a communications consultancy focussed on equality and female leadership. She also pioneers leadership programmes for young women aged 15-18 and shares her insights in the national media. IRENE CANO Head of Meta for Spain and Portugal, Irene Cano is at the forefront of world changing technology. Under her leadership, Spain will become Europe’s first ‘metacountry’, a multinational centre for innovation and planning of the metaverse. ANA OBREGON In March this year, actress Ana Obregon (left middle) became the centre of a national controversy when she decided to become a mother using her dead son’s sperm at almost 70-years-old. The story shocked Spaniards. Following the controversy, Ana published a book her son had started writing before his death in 2020. The Boy with the Shrews went on to become a best seller and Ana a successful influencer.
KNOW WHERE YOU STAND W
Photo by Maureen Evans
presentatives HEN of setting the upinstitutions and members with a recognized a business in Spain Jennifer Cunrealised that the qualities she learnt Honesty and integrity nd local artisticningham sector: Joan Subirats, Mayor for Culture during her time in the Royal Air Force wouldDeputy stand are key to setting up of her in good stead. business - lessons There she learnt not to accept or lies, as well as gain- a of Ibar, Director General ofexcuses Cultural Heritage the Generalitat de ing an iron discipline, fearlessness, determination - and the learnt in the RAF by overwhelming of honesty and integrity. María Dolores president of theimportance Fundació MACBA; Jiménez-Blanco “Being in the RAF was one of the happiest times in my life expat business leader and where I had discipline instilled in me,” she tells the Olive or General Culture;Cunningham Chris Dercon, Press.of Fine Arts of the Ministry of Jennifer “As a result I don’t stand for any nonsense, but that also means people know where they stand with me, which Palais, is very SheParis, then began working with a giantof American company, of French National Museums, Grand and member important in business.” Liberty Insurance, designing special packages for the expat It was still anything but easy for her to set up her insurance market and has built up a reputation as a hugely successful mittee; João Fernandes, director the Instituto Moreira business on the costas threeartistic decades ago, when women ofexpat businesswoman.
were not taken seriously in business. “At the beginning they didn’t want to take me on and they felt “I was a widow, surviving on a meagre widow’s sure that I would fail,” she reveals. “My style of pension and so the only way I could start up selling was completely new to them, the culture was to re-mortgage my home, borrow money They didn’t take here in Spain was so different.” and make it work,” she recalls, from her home “As an entrepreneur I had to take risks and me seriously, in Javea, on the Costa Blanca. convince those who had the financial back“I had problems finding a bank who would suping of huge institutions behind them to take a I walked out port me and I remember the first time I presentrisk on me, but I proved myself and in the end, and went ed my business plan to get a loan, the bank those very same people looked to me to lead manager wouldn’t address me directly but kept somewhere else strategy and even asked me to teach them how looking towards the male friend I had brought to do it.” with me. Today Jennifer Cunningham Insurance has sev“I had to point out that it was me who was borrowing the mon- en offices in Spain (including one in the Canaries) and thouey, that I was the business owner and when they didn’t take sands of expat customers. me seriously, I walked out and went somewhere else.” While an incredible success story - not just for a woman, but She eventually found a sympathetic bank manager, a man also as an expat - she however, is most proud of the fact that who has supported her ever since her first venture, and who she leads a team of 23 staff, predominately women. she has stayed with as he moved across different banks. “It isn’t a policy to only employ women, it just turns out that
IRON DISCIPLINE: The RAF taught Jennifer well
they are the ones that have thrived,” she explains. “Applications are open to everyone and we do employ men and I try to keep a balance in the teams, but it’s the women that seem to be most successful in this business and the ones that stay on for years and years, while the men just don’t seem to keep up.”
Visit www.jennifercunningham.net for more info
Life F
OR Eva Perez, receiving the all-important phone call kickstarted a complicated mix of emotions. “You’re happy because your loved ones are celebrating that it’s your chance to continue to live and to follow your dreams, but at the same time you know there’s another family, somewhere else, who are crying,” she explains from her home in Madrid. It’s a confusing mish-mash of feelings - fear, hope, happiness, grief, responsibility - that Eva, now 55, knows all too well. She was aged just 11 when doctors discovered she was suffering from hepatitis, inflammation of the liver, which required extensive treatment and medication. But then liver transplants didn’t exist in Spain and, even when they did get introduced in 1984, they were highly experimental and dangerous. Indeed, it wasn’t until 11 years later in 1995 when Eva was finally offered the life-saving surgery. It went well and two years on, she was pregnant with her son, Fernando. But she had to stop taking the medication which would have had damaging effects on the foetus and, as a result her new liver was rejected and she needed to go under the knife once more in December 1997.
Lucky
She was incredibly lucky, with a donor available within two months of giving birth: “I felt incredibly fortunate, because getting a transplant is not like buying something from El Corte Ingles. “You can have all the technology in the world but the entire process is dependent on a family experiencing the worst moment of their lives, but agreeing to give life to someone else”. However, for this she is eternally grateful. “The first family gave me life, the second gave me life with my son”, she explained. Eva is one of tens of thousands of Spaniards who have benefited from the selflessness of grieving families. She is also one of many to have benefited from Spain’s famous organ donation and transplant model, widely regarded as the best in the world. An incredible 5,861 organ transplants t o o k place i n Spain l a s t year, meaning
February 21st - March 5th 2024
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SAVERS
Ben Pawlowski discovers why Spain has been the world leader for life-saving organ transplants for 32-years
CLIMBING THE MOUNTAIN
Y
MEET THE OP TEAM
zabelle Bostyn’s career in journalism began during the Coronavirus pandemic, when trapped in a cramped flat with a Peruvian family she had just met, she turned to a local journalist for help. She felt first hand how journalism can help people when just a few weeks later, she found herself on a chartered flight home courtesy of the UK government. Arriving back at the University of Sheffield, she began writing for student newspapers such as The Tab and UniFresher, where she worked her way up to Sheffield Editor. After finishing her degree in English Literature and Hispanic Studies, she enrolled in the university’s prestigious journalism MA. While studying for her masters she developed a love for journalism, frequently being published in local papers. Once she finished her degree, she worked in marketing before setting off an epic trip around Latin America. From Mexico to Colombia, she chronicled her travels on her blog, cementing her love for travel writing.
Perfect fit
BLESSED: Eva has had two liver transplants the country topped the global list for a record 32nd consecutive year. One in four donors within Europe and 5% of ALL donors worldwide are Spanish, with over 140,000 dence the population has for the transplants successfully complet- national transplant and medical ed since records began. system.” But why has the Spanish model A recent study from Diaz and his had such success and longevity? colleagues found over 90% of AnAccording to Gonzalo Diaz, a dalucians were supportive of the researcher at the University of system, whilst almost three-quarGranada several factors come ters want their organs to be dointo play. nated after death. “The opt-out system is one of the In 1989, the Spanish Health fundamental pillars of the Span- Ministry created the National ish system - unlike other coun- Transplant Organisation (ONT), tries, in Spain you are an organ an agency in charge of the coordidonor automatically, unless you nation and oversight of donation, opt-out of the system”, he ex- procurement, and transplantaplained. tion activities. The opt-out system Diaz believes that is the antithesis of the organisation’s The opt-out the opt-in system, ‘magnificent’ work system is a whereby potential has been integral donors have to exto Spain’s success. fundamental plicitly state their “Their capacity to pillar of the desire to have their explain the impororgans used after Spanish system tance of donation death. is incredibly effecThe success tive”, he said. of the sysA 2017 study tem has seen other coun- published in the American Jourtries, such as the UK, nal of Transplantation likewise adapt the policy in hope highlighted the importance of of replicating Spain’s the ONT, claiming Spain benefits model, which has a from ‘a specific organisational apworld-leading donation proach to ensure the systematic rate of 48.9 donors identification of donation opporper million peo- tunities’, whilst simultaneously ple. ‘promoting public support’ for doHowever, for nating organs after death. Diaz, there And the model continues to flourare other ish, with 2023 seeing a 9% rise in vital cogs the number of organ transplants to the suc- conducted in the country. c e s s f u l Beatriz Dominguez-Gil, head of p o l i c y : the ONT, explained to the Olive “It real- Press that the increase could only ly helps have been possible ‘thanks to the having the constant search for new ways to high levels increase donation and transplant of support activity’. and confi- “It ensures that one day in the
REACHING FOR THE SKY: Scaling Acatenago in Guatemala
BOSS: Beatriz is the head of Spain’s transplant body future, this incredibly complex medical procedure will be available for every single patient that needs it,” she added. Despite the success of the Spanish model, 4,790 patients remain on the waiting list, a number of whom will either die while waiting, or be removed from the list as they become too ill. Discussing how Spain can continue to improve its model, Diaz continued: “I believe that addressing new technological challenges within the sector, maintaining high levels of training for medical professionals, and continuing to be transparent and honest towards the general public will be key”. Nevertheless, Spain’s carefully nurtured model continues to be the best in the world. For Eva, who today works as the President of the National Federation of Liver Transplants, her opinion is definite. “It is clear in my mind that if I had not been born in Spain, I would not be here today”.
She loved scaling volcanoes in Guatemala, finding the best vegan ceviche in Mexico and swimming with sharks in Belize. Tragically, her trip was cut short by news that her Nana had terminal throat cancer, so she left the backpacker life to care for her. Her grandma’s death brought life into sharp focus for Yzabelle’s family and she made the decision to pursue her longtime goal of returning to Spain. She had firm links with the country, having lived in Barcelona as part of her year abroad and visited her family’s Alpujarran holiday home every summer for 16 years. When she found the Olive Press, it seemed like a perfect fit, a place where she could perfect her Spanish and work as a journalist. She has now settled in Estepona, where she is a proud member of the local Ulplaying in the DISCWORLD: Yzabelle with Volaores timate Frisbee team. Spanish championships
The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are:
rain’ is coming to Spain: New DANA 1- ‘BloodwillAndalucia bring the weather phenomenon to and beyond this week
British expat and urbanisation 2- PICTURED: president who ‘paid himself more than the deputy PM of SPAIN’ will happen to Spain’s property market 3-inWhat 2024? Expert Mark Stucklin gives his verdict Why Brits staying with friends or family in 4-Spain should consider carrying THIS document Farmer strikes in Spain: Chaos to continue 5- today with tractors blocking roads and ports from Malaga to Barcelona and Valencia
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LA CULTURA
February 21st - March 5th 2024
Picture this Visiting Madrid’s iconic Prado museum? Here are seven must-see paintings bound to make your jaw drop
W
ITH over two and By Ben Pawlowski a half million visitors a year, the Prado Museum is the beating heart of Madrid’s rich cultural tradition. Renowned artists such as Goya, Velázquez and El Greco feature prominently in an exhibition of the Spanish monarchy’s magnificent personal collection. But with over 8,600 paintings, navigating the Prado can often be a tricky task. Here is a guide to seven paintings, a mix of the unmissable classics and hidden gems, that will be sure to make any visit an enjoyable one.
The Adoration of the Shepherds (1612-14)
Landscape with Saint Jerome (1516-17) Joachim Patinir - Room 055A
El Greco - Room 010B
A spectacular, awe-inspiring canvas, jagged rocks and treacherous cliffs catch the eye. But Patinir’s use of a horizon far in the distance allows him to develop the landscape of the land, filled with mountains, lakes, forests, grasslands, settlements and all manner of intricacies. Like Brueghel’s work, Patinir’s painting allows for an appreciation of the natural, typical of the Flemish renaissance.
Saturn Devouring His Son (1819-23) Francisco de Goya - Room 067 Goya’s so-called ‘Black Paintings’ are a haunting, mysterious and violent collection of works that symbolise the darker themes that surrounded the master’s career towards the end of his life. Created to adorn the walls
of his own home, ‘Saturn Devouring His Son’ is the most viscerally frightening example within the collection - a great, beastly figure feasting on the body of a dismembered and beheaded boy.
Las Meninas (1656) Diego Velázquez - Room 012 One of the most iconic paintings of all time, ‘Las Meninas’ by Spanish great Velázquez has long captured the imagination of art historians. Painted in his typically dramatic, baroque style, ‘Las Meninas’ represents a radical departure from traditional royal portraiture. To the left of the paintings stands Velázquez himself, whose playful use of perspective remains an inexhaustible mystery for those who seek to uncover its mystery. Painted in his quintessentially dramatic style, often denoted as a precursor to the modern movements of Cubism and Expressionism, this nativity scene is considered as El Greco’s final work before his death in 1614. This tall, gangly canvas is rich with colour, light and
Francisco de Goya - Room 064
darkness, creating a captivating path towards the young baby Jesus, surrounded by Joseph and three shepherds. With its religious themes and vivid colours, El Greco’s final work acts as an appropriate representation of his magnificent career.
The 3rd of May 1808 (1814)
One of the unquestionable highlights of the Prado is its vast collection of works by Goya, widely considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. One of 600 of his works that adorn the Prado’s walls, ‘The 3rd of May 1808’ is a vast, enticing piece that encapsulates the violence and death that typified Goya’s later style. An eerie depiction of the execution of Spanish patriots by Napoleon’s forces
during the Peninsular War, Goya’s skilful use of light illuminates the drama, tension and heroism of the scene, making it an unmissable stop on any Prado tour.
The Descent from the Cross (before 1443) Olympus. The Battle of the Giants (1767-68) Francisco Bayeu - Room 089 Taught under the same school as Goya, Bayeu’s frescoes are littered across every corner of the Prado. Depicting the Giants in efforts to conquer the home of the Gods on Mount Olympus and its defence by Jupiter, this canvas is indic-
ative of Bayeu’s fascination with grandiose scenes, often historical, mythological or religious in nature. The Prado also holds 20 sketches made by Bayeu in preparation for this particular piece.
A truly unmissable creation, van der Weyden’s masterpiece is a breathtaking visit. Within a curious cross-like structure, the elegant mastery creates an astonishingly beautiful piece. At the centre lies Christ, inert after his crucifixion. To each side are mourn-
ers, painted in vivid detail, whose suffering and distress reflects the emotional tragedy of the scene. Painted early on in van der Weyden’s career, it is widely regarded as the most important representation of the crucifixion to come out of the Netherlands.
Rogier van der Weyden - Room 058
FOOD, DRINK & TRAVEL MARBELLA has been voted as Europe’s best place to visit. The city came top of the poll conducted by the European Best Destinations portal, picking up 149,192 votes. It's the highest vote for any location since the website started the annual survey in 2009 as
February 21st March 5th 2024
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Simply the best it beat off challenges from Monaco and Malta. Some 84% of people who chose Marbella were voters from outside Spain and it came top of the list for UK and American travellers.
Farmers in Spain warn rice used to make paella could 'disappear' due to EU rules
ICONIC Malaga restaurant and winery El Pimpi is to open a new branch in Marbella. The new El Pimpi will be in the Hotel Puente Romano, and while the venue will be more modern than the original, it will still maintain much of the original’s character. El Pimpi is a huge draw in Malaga, both for locals and tourists. The expansion was one of the objectives
By Yzabelle Bostyn
Major exporters still use the pesticide in Brazil, India and Cambodia. It came after farmers staged protests across Europe over claims they let outside competitors have an advantage over EU farmers by letting them use the chemical. The clashes have exposed Brussels’ struggles to bal-
PIMPING IT UP
of its most high-profile partner, Hollywood actor Antonio Banderas, who is originally from Malaga. The business opened in 1971, and takes its name from the English word ‘pimp’. It is a reference to the men who would direct foreign sailors arriving in the port to find women of the night.
24/7 EMERGENCY ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE
BYE-ELLA: EU regulations ban a crucial pesticide for rice production
ance sustainability policies with providing self-sufficient food production. Known as tricyclazole, the EU stopped authorising the chemical because it could be harmful to human health. It has been used for 40 years to combat the fungus in Valencia’s wetlands. Angry farmers claim the EU has one set of rules for local producers and another for imported goods, which allows them to carry traces of the potentially harmful pesticide.
STAY SAFE
7 Metrically, about 1,340 horsepower (8) 8 Comply (4) 9 Stretch (3) 10 Having considerable worth (8) 11 Car stores (7) 14 Wash (5) 15 Courageous (5) 17 Official sitting (7) 21 He’s off, or out at sea (8) 22 Nickname for Margaret (3) 23 The Great ---, constellation (4) 24 Man-to-man, in basketball (3-2-3)
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Down 1 “Conventional” city? (6) 2 Venture (4) 3 Immature insects (6) 4 Motionless (5) 5 Currently (8) 6 Investment goal broke the law (6) 12 Gurus (8) 13 MI6 (1,1,1) 16 Fill the tank again (6) 18 Cricket team (6) 19 Keyboard instruments (6) 20 Boarded (3,2) 22 Window division (4)
As Spain’s most experienced provider of insurance for British expatriates, Línea Directa has been keeping motorists on the move for over 20 years. We hope the information provided in this article is of interest. If you would like to contact Línea Directa please call 952 147 834. More information about Línea Directa online at www.lineadirecta.com
We hope the information provided in this article is of interest. If you would like to contact Linea Directa please call 952 147 834. More information about Linea Directa online at www.lineadirecta.com
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Across
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T
HIS is a good question and I can offer you a number of answers. I started my company nearly 30 years ago, working from home and developing the business slowly over a number of years. Once established, I employed staff and rented a large office in Javea port, where I am still to this day. How life has changed for me, and for the better. I realised when I moved to Spain, that there was very little help available and what was available was normally in Spanish. There was no private health insurance, no funeral plans and no insurance dedicated to the Expat, and little customer service. I started the business selling health insurance for a British company, along with funeral plans. Having lost my husband in Spain, I realised how difficult it was to arrange a funeral and the costs were enormous. Being very disciplined myself (probably due to my time in the Air Force), I have a strong work ethic. I used to work from home during the day, and I would go out early evenings making home visits until I was busy enough to take someone on to help me. From those early days when I worked tirelessly, I built my company and now have seven offices. I demand from my excellent and loyal staff that they treat all my clients with respect, courtesy and honesty and offer them the best service that is possible. I pride myself that the after sales service is the best, a service very rare in Spain. I have two Claims Administrators and a dedicated Renewal department, who will make sure that as your circumstances change, your policies can change with you and you are fully aware of your coverage. So these are just some of the reasons why we are so special. We are more than just a voice on the phone, offering good, old fashioned service. Not always the cheapest, but the best, working with Liberty Seguros and ASSSA healthcare, who both provide special Expat policies and are the best in the market.
OP QUICK CROSSWORD
OP SUDOKU
s-256x170-CAR-4.indd 1
disease, which can lead to ‘total crop failure’. Three rice growers in the Valencia region have claimed their harvest in 2023 was half the 10 year average as a result of the Pyricularia fungus. Miguel Minguet said the variety, which is almost exclusively found in Spain, is ‘very likely to disappear’. “Our crop is going to be lost to regulations,” he claimed.
HELP AT HAND
What makes Jennifer Cunningham Insurances so different?
Against the grain AN iconic Spanish dish could be under threat as farmers warn paella rice could ‘disappear’ due to EU regulations. Bomba, the rice variety used to make the meal, could be at peril after the European Union banned a pesticide farmers claim they rely upon to cultivate the grain. The chemical is said to stop rice plants growing a fungus which causes rice blast
Dear Jennifer:
All solutions are on page 14
14
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
What a
February 21st - March 5th 2024
Spanish town that could be a set for a Disney movie A TOWN in northern Spain has gone viral for being ‘identical’ to the Beauty and the Beast village. At some point, everyone has wished they were in a Disney movie. From the glaciers of Arendelle to the temples of imperialist China, there’s always enchanting scenery fit for a fairytale. If your favourite princess was the erudite Belle, you’re in luck. A town in northern Spain has been dubbed the country’s answer to Beauty and the Beast by travel influencers. C o v a r rubias, Burgos, is ‘full of corners that
EVOCATIVE: The medieval streets of Covarrubias are reminicent of the ancient alleys and architecture of the village in Beauty and the Beast
OP Puzzle solutions Quick Crossword Across: 7 Megawatt, 8 Obey, 9 Eke, 10 Valuable, 11 Garages, 14 Bathe, 15 Brave, 17 Session, 21 Offshore, 22 Peg, 23 Bear, 24 One-on-one. Down: 1 Geneva, 2 Dare, 3 Larvae, 4 Still, 5 Nowadays, 6 Wealth, 12 Advisers, 13 S I S, 16 Refuel, 18 Eleven, 19 Organs, 20 Got on, 22 Pane.
By Yzabelle Bostyn will transport you’ to the film, with cobbled streets snaking through ramshackle Medieval buildings and historic monuments. The walled city has been inhabited since the paleolithic period and is home to one of Spain’s best preserved roman bridges. It was founded in 653 by a Visgoth king, where the San Cosme and San Damian churches now stand. Some 100 years later, the Moors destroyed the city and built its first defensive towers, eventually making Covarrubias front line of the reconquest of Spain. After Catholics had retaken hold of the Iberian peninsula, Covarrubias became the capital of Castille, a highly influential Spanish kingdom which reigned from 1065 -1833. It is this period which has shaped the city’s legend. In 1258, Kristina of Norway married Prince Felipe of Castille before moving to Sevilla. Unfortunately the princess, known for her beauty, died of heatstroke in the ‘frying pan of Spain’. Her body was subsequently moved to Covarrubias and today, singles from all over Europe visit her tomb, hoping for better luck in their dating lives. There is also a festival dedicated to the princess, held in October with
SOME FRONT: Timber-framed buildings are crucial to the charm of Covarrubias
music, artisan crafts and theatre performances. The city is also home to a ‘Book Museum’, housed in Covarrubia’s archive. Nearby, there are two historic monasteries, Silos and San Pedro de Arlanza.
They are found in the Lerma area, which is well known for its gastronomic offering, including the exquisite DO Arlanza wines. Adventurers can also follow the Arlanza river to discover the stunning countryside, found in the heart of the old Castille kingdom.
HEALTH
February 21st - March 5th 2024
THE average wait to see a family doctor or primary care health staff is 9.12 days in Spain, according to figures compiled by the Defence of Public Health group (FADSP). The study says that 25.9% of patients wait 11 days or more, while 38.2% of people suffer delays of three months or more for appointments with a hospital specialist. There are many regional variations with the
WAITING TIMES average primary care delay standing at 12.4 days in Catalunya, followed by 10.4 days in Andalucia and the Valencian Community with 9.8 days. In contrast, Asturias comes in with the best figure of the 17 regions with a 4.8 day wait.
Vaccine study
Covid jab health probe ordered by Spanish court A COURT has ordered an investigation over whether Covid-19 vaccines that allegedly contained graphene oxide posed any health risk. Complaints were submitted in 2022 and Almeria Provincial Court now wants to see
By Alex Trelinski
whether there is ‘any indication of a crime against public health’. The court overturned a decision made by a judge last May to dismiss the case as unjustified, without clarifying MEN who take Viagra to treat erectile the facts. dysfunction could have a lower risk of The ruling developing Alzheimer’s disease, accordupholds an ing to a new study. appeal by the comThe study saw nearly 270,000 men take plainants part, with an average age of 59 - the parand conticipants were newly-diagnosed with cludes that erectile dysfunction and did not have the police dementia symptoms at the start of the need to carresearch. ry out invesThe men were then followed by retigations, searchers for an average of five years. especially Some 55% took drugs including Viagra, since probes Cialis, vardenafil and avanafil, whereas had been the rest did not. started in Men who had been prescribed drugs for other parts their erectile dysfunction were 18% less of Spain. likely to develop dementia, although The case more research is needed to prove the link. was initially brought af-
SPECIAL REPORT
VIAGRA LINK
15
ter the opinions of a University of Almeria (UAL) chemistry professor were published on social media over an alleged contamination of the vaccine following the study of a sample. His findings suggested that analysis provides ‘solid evidence of the probable presence of graphene derivatives, although it does not provide conclusive proof’. The university dissociated itself from his conclusions and said that the analysed sample was ‘of unknown origin with a total absence of traceability’. The UAL clarified that it was not an official report or a scientific study, while stressing its total support for vaccines in fighting diseases. In response to complaints acted on by the Court of Instruction 2 - and now revoked by Almeria Provincial Court - the judge last May said that there were no indications of any crime ‘given that it is not proven that the Covid-19 vaccine had a toxic component that generates danger to people’s health’.
Are you depressed? Suffering from anxiety? Worried about the year ahead? Are your kids having social issues? PERHAPS YOU NEED SOMEONE PROFESSIONAL TO TALK TO I HOPE I CAN HELP. Call me, Fijaz Mughal, in confidence. I’m fully-accredited and professionally-trained in London and recently moved to Spain. I understand the issues many expats feel in Spain. Change through relocation abroad can really add to mental health pressures and these life changes are never easy. Counselling and therapy has changed the lives of many. Getting in touch is the first step. Recognising that there is an issue is the first step on the road to recovery. Help is available through my confidential counselling CONTACT: Fijaz Mughal OBE FCMI MBACP on info@counselling4anxiety.com www.counselling4anxiety.com
DIABETES CASES SURGE
D
IABETES is surging in Andalucia at an alarming rate, health experts have warned. Dr Diego Fernandez, head of the Endocrinology and Nutrition department at Xanit Hospital in Benalmadena, revealed: “We are facing a high incidence of diabetes in the region, a phenomenon that we cannot ignore. “Although Andalucia has been recognised for its development and quality of life, the prevalence of diabetes has experienced a constant increase in recent years.”
Doctor advises exercise and good diet are key factors in avoiding the disease
He added: “Genetic factors and unhealthy lifestyles are contributing to this increase. It is crucial to understand that diabetes is a complex disease that requires a comprehensive approach that includes prevention, early diagnosis and effective management.” He added that to avoid the disease: “You have to maintain a Mediterranean diet, that for me is one of the main keys. “Also, awareness about the importance of regular physical activity is essential to reverse this trend.” A Mediterranean diet is rich in fruit, vegetables, nuts, healthy oils and fish. Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) advises people to ‘reach and keep a health body weight’. It adds that they should ‘stay physically active with at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise
each day… eat a healthy diet and avoid sug- sugar (glucose) for energy. It stops the body ar and saturated fat… and do not smoke from using insulin properly, which can lead tobacco.’ to high levels of blood sugar if not treated.’ Meanwhile, new specialist diOver time, it can lead to seriabetes care units are to open ous damage to the body, parOver time, it next year across the Costa ticularly against nerves and Blanca and Valencia regions. blood vessels. can lead to There are two types of diabeYou are more at risk of develdamage of tes, Type 1, which is widely beoping Type 2 diabetes if you nerves and lieved to be genetic, and Type are overweight, do not exer2, which can be prevented. cise enough and if it runs in blood vessels According to the World Health the family. Organisation, Type 1 is characIt is important that you are terised by deficient insulin production and regularly tested for the disease, as earrequires daily administration of insulin. ly diagnosis helps you to avoid its worst Type 2 diabetes ‘affects how your body uses effects.
The
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FINAL WORDS
A MONKEY which was held in brutal captivity in a flat in Barcelona for 35 years has finally been freed after an an animal rights organisation filed a complaint with local authorities
Ton-up THE first woman to receive the Covid-19 vaccine in Spain, Araceli Hidalgo, received birthday wishes from Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Tuesday after turning 100 years old.
Water hazard THREE golf courses on the Costa del Sol are under investigation after being accused of stealing water for irrigation during the current drought.
Vol. 8 Issue 217
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February 21st - March 5th 2024
PRAYER-BNB
WITH their traditional pastry business scuppered by the cost of living crisis, a community of cloistered nuns in Sevilla has had to take drastic measures to survive. Described as the ‘perfect location to relax in the heart of the city’, the nuns are offering stays within their convent through Airbnb. The secluded nuns, from the Order of Saint Clare, have opened four flats which can
PIC CREDIT: Matthew Murphy and Oliver Rosser
Mon-key to freedom
GIBRALTAR
Picky prioress
Grapes of wrath
How nuns are turning their convent into a holiday rental each be rented for between €90 and €180. Only one member of the Convent of Saint Mary of Jesus, Sister Ines, maintains contact with the outside world, using a revolving hatch through which their famous pastries are sold. But with a falling number of vocations and climbing inflation, the nuns have turned to the rental market to top up the
By Ben Pawlowski
coffers. The flats, located within the 16th-century walls of the convent, are managed by Javier Bernal and Luis Bidon, who successfully negotiated a oneyear agreement with the nuns after passing them a message through an intermediary pas-
A COMMUNITY of cloistered nuns in Ronda is in desperate need of new members, with the Vatican threatening to close the convent. The group needs two new sisters ‘as soon as possible’ to persuade the Vatican to keep the convent open. Several young women have enquired about the ‘position’, but the prioress of the convent has stated that prospective nuns must have a CV including ‘substantial previous experience’. Two years ago the congregation was home to nine nuns, but a succession of deaths has left just four sisters. The Vatican states that cloistered congregations must have a minimum of six nuns.
NUN OF YOUR BUSINESS: Convents must diversify
try-buyer. The bells of the convent ring to announce when a paying guest arrives, more often than not a foreign tourist, according to Bernal. Nowadays, the community consists of 18 nuns, with the Bishop of Sevilla recently advising the city’s 34 convents to diversify their income streams. The convent was founded in 1502, the height of Sevilla’s thriving Golden Age, by Alvaro de Portugal, a cousin of Isabella the Catholic, the Queen of Castilla y Leon. One of the flats currently has a rating of 4.86/5, with guests praising the location, cleanliness and architecture.
AN intruder literally poured €2 million worth of wine down the drain at a renowned bodega. He entered the Valladolid winery on Sunday and emptied three tanks containing 60,000 litres of maturing premium wine.
Expert
The Guardia Civil is searching for the hooded person that appeared to have expert knowledge of how to turn on the taps at the Cepa 21 winery in Castillo de Duero - a complicated procedure meant to safeguard against accidents. And he also knew which tanks contained the premium Horcajo and Malabrigo brands, which are sold at over €90 a bottle. He accessed two other tanks but, fortunately for Cepa 21, they were already empty.
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