Bomb Threats & more – 21st Dec 2023

Buenos días from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Spain Update from the 21st of December twenty twenty-three A quick summary of what's going down in Spain.

Several international and private schools in Tarragona, Zaragoza, Tenerife, and Alicante received strange emails between Friday the 15th and Sunday the 17th. The emails contained a bomb warning, telling the institutions that there were explosives on site.

Following the threats, on Monday the 18th, affected schools told families not to bring their children in. However, police and explosive deactivation units didn’t find any explosives.

Spain has remained on a level four terrorist alert since the twenty fifteen Islamist militant attacks in Paris. In October this year, Spain announced it was ramping up security measures because of rising tension in the Middle East, but it said that it would be sticking to level four, the second-highest on a five-point scale.

Next up, two weeks ago, the Doñana National Park in the Andalucía region was removed from the International Union for Conversation of Nature or I.U.C.N list of places that meet global conservation standards.

The I.U.C.N, a leading global environmental organization, awards its Green Seal to places upholding conservation, monitoring climate change, and managing health and well-being, acknowledging adherence to global nature conservation standards.

The park, which has suffered a consistent loss of fauna, flora, and bird migration, drew attention after Juan Manuel Moreno, the regional leader, passed a controversial law legitimizing irrigation in the rich wetlands for agriculture. The I.U.C.N's subsequent investigation revealed poor governance, and the park was subsequently removed from the prestigious list. This was a direct blow to the Andalusian government, exposing environmental negligence and the consequences of Moreno's decision to prioritize farming over protecting the crucial nature reserve.

It has been a while since we spoke about Covid.

The World Health Organization has said that a new variant of concern is spreading globally. The BA.2.86, or Pirola, has been around since July, and cases have already appeared in Denmark, Brasil, Peru, Chile, and Spain. On Monday, the 18th, Ecuador's Ministry of Public Health registered its first case of the new variant.

While it is a variant of concern because of how easily it spreads, the WHO hasn't increased protection measures; instead, it has reminded countries to remain alert.

Covid isn't the only cause of vigilance, as Houti rebels in Yemen have been targeting maritime ships, commercial vessels, and seaplanes in the Red Sea since November, focusing on those traveling to Israeli ports to trade with the country.

For context, the Houthi movement or Ansarallah, is a Shia Islamist military and political movement.

In response to attacks, several major companies, including BP, Maersk, and Hapag-Llyod, announced last week they would stop sending their vessels through the Red Sea. This is already having a global economic impact as international maritime freight rates have increased by 10% in just a week because of the longer route ships have to take, increasing fuel costs. Consequences extend to other prices as 12% of world maritime trade passes through the Red Sea. From manufactured goods to food products and oil, the Suez Canal connects Egypt and the Mediterranean through the Red Sea, an important trading area.

This week, the U.S. and nine other countries, including Spain, have launched the Operation Guardian of Prosperity coalition project, which will operate under Combined Maritime Forces. The coalition aims to protect trade flow and enhance security in affected places by providing American warships and protection.

Sánchez calls for pragmatism from the independence movement to strengthen Catalonia's self-government. The President of the Government warns that the case of Tsunami Democràtic, the Catalan protest group advocating for a self-determination referendum, "is not comparable" to ETA, the Basque separatist group, or jihadist terrorism. He defends the amnesty but warns that "the response to overcome the political conflict cannot be a referendum on self-determination."

A harsh speech by a Real Madrid youth team coach has sparked controversy in amateur football.

The incident unfolded during the Tic Tac Cup, an international youth tournament held over the weekend. Following Real Madrid's elimination, the coach tried to encourage players in a videoed speech. However, it soon turned when he swore at the ten-year-olds and told them to "tighten their arses" and get back to the game.

Millions have seen the video on social media and condemned the coach’s comments. To see the footage, follow the link in the show notes.

Beyond the world of sports, the latest Unicef report highlights that Spain has been facing severe child poverty rates since two thousand one, and not much is changing.

The latest Unicef report looking into child poverty in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (or OECD) and EU countries highlights that between twenty twelve and twenty twenty-one, Spain had a 28% child poverty rate, one of the worst in the EU. Meanwhile, Slovenia, which has a similar level of national income, has only 10%.

Globally, child well-being isn't solely linked to wealth; Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania have significantly cut child poverty by over 30% since two thousand one. In contrast, higher-income countries like France saw a 10% increase in the same period.

Unfortunately for Spain, it lags behind the 8% average. Leaving over two million children, or one in four, in poverty.

Moving to the economy...

On Tuesday the 19th, the Spanish government, via the State Industrial Participation Company, unexpectedly announced plans to acquire 10% of Telefónica's shares, aiming to become its largest shareholder.

Their actions are in direct response to Saudi Telecom Company's surprise acquisition of a significant stake in Telefónica two months ago, thereby becoming its largest shareholder. The goal is to prevent any potential influence Saudi Telecom might exert on Telefónica's board. To ensure control and stability, the government aims to forge an agreement with major Telefónica shareholders BBVA and La Caixa.

Critics, including the Partido Popular (or PP), wrapping themselves in the cloak of non-market intervention, while well aware that the Saudis are super rich and spread their oil funds around to friendly politicians, have accused the government of unwarranted intervention. In contrast, others have championed the idea, calling it a protective move for an important Spanish company to protect it from a petro-autocracy.

On Wednesday, the 20th, Spain marked the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Luis Carrero Blanco, former prime minister and longtime advisor to Francisco Franco.

In nineteen seventy-three, E.T.A orchestrated a meticulously planned attack that claimed Carrero Blanco's life, shaking the foundations of Franco's dictatorship in Spain. To this day, Carrero Blanco's death remains a subject of intense historical debate. Some argue it accelerated the dictatorship's demise, saying if he hadn't been killed, he would have taken over leadership after Franco. On the other hand, other historians believe that democracy was already inevitable. Regardless, it was pivotal in Spain's transformation from authoritarianism to democracy.

Winter holidays in Spain face disruptions as unions, including U.G.T and CCOO (comisiones obreras) , plan eight days of strikes by Iberia's ground services staff between the 29th of December and the 7th of January. The dispute revolves around Iberia's reluctance to establish its own ground services at airports, opting to outsource employees, leading to concerns about workers' conditions and rights. While the timing couldn't be worse for Iberia, the union's strategic timing during a busy festive season will likely intensify the strike's impact.

And finally...Spain finished its last month of rotating EU Council presidency last week, so what's been happening since?

The EU's environmental agency anticipates that the EU will fall short of its twenty thirty green objectives, including missed targets in energy consumption and renewable energy and a failure to double recycled material use.

It's not all bad news, though, as it projects a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by twenty thirty compared to nineteen ninety figures.

Because of concerns over Russia's war in Ukraine and global uncertainty, including Israel and Palestine, the EU says it is reallocating funds from the Green Deal to defense, migration, and energy diversification. This means that less money will go towards fighting climate change and renewables.

Aaand that's it for this week!

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¡Hasta la próxima!