SPAIN: Blackmailing accusations & more – 20th Jun 2024

Buenos días! This is the Rorshok Spain Update from the 20th of June twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what's going down in Spain.

First up, an update from Catalunya. On Monday the 17th, Carles Puigdemont, the Former President of the Catalan Parliament, accused Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of blackmailing the Republican Left of Catalonia, or Esquerra.

This follows Sánchez offer of a unique financial agreement to Esquerra in exchange for supporting the leader of the Catalan opposition and head of the Catalan Socialist Party, Salvador Illa's bid to become president of the Generalitat.

The financial terms would grant Catalunya more power, allowing it to manage 100% of its taxes rather than the current 9%.

Puigdemont criticized the negotiations between Esquerra and Sánchez's Socialist Workers' Party, or PSOE, saying that the PM’s proposal undermines Catalonia's demands for fair treatment. Puigdemont warned that this deal could threaten Together for Catalunya oj Junts Per Catalunya’s support for the PSOE in Congress.

Next up, Spain has fallen to last place in defense spending among NATO allies. Since Russia's large-scale assault on Ukraine in February twenty twenty two, NATO defense spending has surged, with member nations reaching an average defense spending of over 2% of their GDPs.

However, Spain currently contributes only 1.3% of its GDP to NATO defense spending. Sanchez has continuously expressed his support for Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine's President, and his country's defense against Russia. Spain says it aims to reach 2% by twenty twenty nine.

In environmental news, Spain's green energy sector faces an odd challenge despite its rapid growth. The country’s success in renewable energy has led to an imbalance between supply and demand, with electricity consumption falling even as GDP rises. Excess generation has driven electricity prices to zero or even less than zero during peak solar output, deterring investment.

Since twenty eighteen, Spain has been investing heavily in its green energy sector. The country is now the second-biggest renewable energy producer in the EU, while Sweden is the first.

To address this, the government aims to electrify over 30% of the economy by twenty thirty, switching it over from fossil fuel reliance.

Moving on, according to the latest Black Flags report of the Spanish environmental organization Ecologistas en Acción, the number of environmental issues affecting beaches in the country has increased.

In their report, Ecologistas en Acción identified forty-eight beaches across Spain in severe environmental conditions, with sewage spills, marine litter, and intrusive urban development notably impacting the Canary Islands.

The report, released last week, highlighted problems such as chemical spills, light and noise pollution, and inadequate waste purification.

A three-year investigation led by the Spanish Civil Guard with support from Europol, the European law enforcement agency, resulted in the dismantling of a major drug cartel.

The operation ended on Wednesday, the 12th after a series of coordinated actions across Europe and South America targeted the cartel's entire supply chain.

The cartel’s network shipped large quantities of cocaine from Colombia, Brazil, and Ecuador to the EU, using logistical hubs in West Africa and the Canary Islands.

On Sunday, the 16th, political parties Podemos and Izquierda Unida led a republican march in Madrid, demanding the abolition of the Crown and declaring Felipe VI the last king.

The anti-monarchist march was held on the tenth anniversary of King Felipe VI's proclamation.

According to the Government Delegation, the march attracted around 4,000 people, although organizers said the number was closer to 30,000.

The march, with attendees holding banners saying "Ten years are enough," aimed to highlight the parties' issue with monarchical power and the concept of a monarchy in modern Spain.

From black beaches to green algae, multiple studies by ecologists and local authorities have shown that the algae have devastated the seabed along the coast of Cádiz, reducing biodiversity and harming tourism and commercial fishing. The fishing industry faces severe losses due to damage to the marine ecosystem, prompting calls for more research and better management strategies.

The algae's rapid multiplication and survival ability in various conditions have made it particularly destructive. Local governments are struggling with cleanup costs, with Estepona in the province of Málaga removing over 18,000 tons of algae since twenty twenty alone.

In other news, a surge in drownings has alarmed authorities in Alicante as summer approaches.

Between the 1st and 10th of June, twelve separate drownings occurred in the Alicante province of Valencia. The cause of the deaths has been linked to the strong Levante winds, which have led to dangerous currents at sea.

Most incidents occurred despite the presence of lifeguards and warning flags, and both tourists and locals were the tragic victims of the drownings.

Antonio Zamora, a rescue coordinator, called for a national plan similar to traffic safety, emphasizing the need for public awareness and stricter regulations. Local governments have been urged to enhance lifeguard services and improve preventive measures.

Throughout the next couple of weeks, Spain's climate will be turbulent, influenced by an African subtropical weather storm and a Dana, a high-altitude weather depression.

Duncan Wingen, a Meteorologist from Meteored, a worldwide weather application, warns that poor weather could affect Spain over the weekend, bringing showers and strong thunderstorms.

Due to southerly winds, the east of Spain and the Balearic Islands will experience high temperatures and dusty conditions, which will lead to tropical nights.

Saharan dust will also affect the eastern mainland and the Balearic Islands, while temperatures in the south could reach between thirty-six and thirty-eight degrees Celsius, which is between 96 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

In football news, Spain has kicked off their twenty twenty-four UEFA European championship with an emphatic win against Croatia on Saturday, the 15th.

La Roja beat Croatia 3-0 in their opening game at the European Championship. Spain is generally considered to be among the top five teams most likely to win the tournament.

In other sports news, round 10 of the Formula 1 season will occur in Barcelona this weekend for the Spanish Grand Prix.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen leads the drivers' championship after winning the last race in Canada. Still, many in Barcelona will be watching the two national icons, Spanish drivers Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz.

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was once home to Formula 1 testing before it moved to Bahrain in twenty twenty one. This Grand Prix will be the penultimate event held at Barcelona before Madrid takes over in twenty twenty six.

Researchers from the University of Córdoba have discovered the oldest wine ever found in liquid form inside a Roman urn in Carmona, southern Spain.

The 2,000-year-old reddish-brown liquid, initially white wine, was discovered in an untouched Roman tomb. Analysis revealed it to be a sherry-like local wine, but the wine was also stored with the ashes of a Roman man and a gold ring.

Chemical tests confirmed the liquid's composition, matching local Andalusian wines. The findings, reported in the Journal of Archaeological Science, highlight the advanced preservation techniques of ancient Romans.

Researchers joked about tasting the wine but refrained due to its contact with human remains. It may be the oldest, but it's probably not the tastiest!

And finally…A new Spanish documentary, The Boy and the Suit of Lights, premiered at the Sheffield Documentary Festival, UK.

The documentary follows the story of Borja, a boy from a small Spanish town whose grandfather, Matias, encourages him to pursue bullfighting despite its controversial status.

The documentary was directed by Inma De Reyes, a Spanish filmmaker who lives in the UK and is focused on portraying the cultural pressures and limited opportunities faced by children in traditional communities, including those born in and around the controversial topic of bullfighting.

More info in show notes.

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

Hey listeners, we have an unusual question for you. Have you ever had to choose a restaurant to go to or a movie or something with a group of friends or family? And it was not so easy to choose? Took a long time, and was just difficult and maybe a bit unpleasant? Rorshok is working on a way to make that much easier. If you are interested, we could use your help. If you want to help out or try it out, let us know at info@rorshok.com and thanks!

¡Hasta la próxima!