SPAIN: Failed Border Crossing & more – 19th Sep 2024

Buenos días from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Spain Update from the 19th of September twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what's going down in Spain.

Let’s start things off with border issues between Spain and Morocco. On Sunday, the 15th, hundreds of migrants attempted to illegally cross the Morocco-Ceuta border.

Moroccan security forces intervened, forming a human barrier and firing warning shots to disperse the crowd. Some migrants also tried swimming along the coast, and one body was recovered dead. According to authorities, no migrants managed to cross.

This mass crossing follows a series of migrant crossing attempts from Morocco to the Spanish territory of Ceuta. Various accounts on social media organized and shared the attempt last Sunday, urging migrants to breach the border.

President Pedro Sanchez has stressed the need for stronger migration cooperation with African nations amid rising reports of crossings, particularly in Ceuta, Melilla, and the Canary Islands.

Next up, the investigation into the Koldo case continues. It revolves around allegations of corruption involving mask purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. The case is still ongoing, and recent testimonies and critical audits are under review​.

On Monday, the 16th, Isabel Pardo de Vera, the former president of ADIF, Spain's largest railway infrastructure company, testified to the Spanish court.

Pardo de Vera stated that she often saw Víctor de Aldama, a key figure in the corruption scheme, at the Ministry of Transport when meeting with the then-minister José Luis Ábalos. She denied receiving direct orders to award mask contracts but mentioned the urgency due to the pandemic.

For the first time, Palestine has an official ambassador in Spain. Husni Abdel Wahed presented his credentials to King Felipe VI at the Royal Palace in Madrid this Monday the 16th.

Abdel Wahed previously served as Palestine's representative, but his role was elevated following Spain's formal recognition of the Palestinian state in May twenty twenty-three. The ambassador expressed gratitude to Spain for not providing unconditional support to Israel, praising its stance on peace.

Abdel Wahed’s credentials formalized his position as the highest Palestinian diplomatic authority in Spain.

In European politics, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, has appointed Teresa Ribera as the commission’s Vice President, responsible for a Clean, Fair, and Competitive Transition.

Ribera will oversee competition policies and play a key role in the EU’s green transition. This marks a significant achievement for Spain, as Ribera’s portfolio is one of the most powerful a Spanish official has ever held.

President Pedro Sánchez praised the appointment, highlighting Ribera’s leadership. Von der Leyen’s new Commission includes six vice presidents and a commitment to gender parity, with eleven women and fifteen men.

In other news, a long-standing dispute between Portugal and Spain over the sovereignty of the small border town of Olivenza has resurfaced after Portugal's Defence Minister Nuno Melo reignited the issue.

Olivenza has been controlled by Spain since eighteen oh one, but some Portuguese groups claim it, citing a treaty from eighteen seventeen, saying that the town should have been returned to Portugal.

Speaking at a military parade, Melo said that, "Olivenza is Portuguese," though he clarified he was expressing personal views, not the government’s.

Spanish officials firmly rejected Melo’s statement, with Extremadura’s leader insisting Olivenza remains Spanish. The diplomatic row has drawn criticism in Portugal, with opposition figures questioning Melo’s position.

Turning to law, Spain is considering reducing the legal blood-alcohol limit for drivers to 0.2mg per liter, less than half the current limit.

Fernando Grande-Marlaska, the Interior Minister, announced the proposal, which would align Spain with countries like Iceland and Sweden.

The decision follows a summer of increased road fatalities, with 241 deaths, over half involving drugs or alcohol. In twenty twenty-three, there were 1,145 deaths on Spanish roads.

Currently, drivers face a 500 euro fine and four license points for exceeding 0.25mg and stricter penalties apply for higher levels of alcohol.

Grande-Marlaska emphasized society’s readiness and stressed the new limit would effectively eliminate drinking before driving.

On Monday the 16th, in Madrid, the city's council and the Ministry of Housing officially approved Operación Campamento, the long-delayed urban development.

This project will create over 10,000 new homes, mostly public housing, in the disused military grounds in the Latina district of the city.

Construction is expected to start by late twenty twenty-five. The project includes the removal of part of the A-5 highway, improving living conditions and reducing Co2 emissions.

Also in Madrid, there have been complaints from local residents near Real Madrid’s home stadium Santiago Bernabéu, who said that the venue was a torture-drome due to loud, late-night events.

The stadium, which was recently renovated at a cost of 900 million euros, has hosted high-profile concerts by artists like Taylor Swift and Karol G. However, residents faced excessive noise, late finishes, and public disturbances.

In response, Real Madrid announced it would reschedule or cancel upcoming events including concerts by Dellafuente, Aitana, and Lola Índigo.

The club is working to comply with municipal noise regulations and will continue collaborating with local authorities.

Over to the sea, where a 17th-century shipwreck, known as Delta 1, has recently been recovered by specialists from the Cadiz Underwater Archaeology Center from the port of Cádiz.

The galleon measures over fifty meters long, and sank near Cádiz in unknown circumstances. It was first discovered accidentally in twenty twelve during port expansion works.

Archaeologists from the Center of Cádiz are investigating its origins, structure, and cargo, which includes twenty-seven Swedish cannons and silver ingots from Bolivia dated to sixteen fifty-one.

The study aims to uncover construction techniques of 17th-century galleons, offering rare insights into historical shipbuilding.

Over to Seville, where the city council has decided to remove a century-old ficus tree planted in nineteen thirteen and declared a Cultural Heritage Site.

The council have decided to remove the tree after a review by municipal arborists confirming its death. The tree suffered irreversible damage from a severe pruning in twenty twenty-two.

Environmentalists oppose the removal, demanding a moratorium, believing the tree could potentially recover. The council plans to replace the tree with another large species.

In food news, according to a recent analysis of COMTRADE data, Spain has lost its leading position in the British tomato market.

In two thousand four, Spain held a 47% market share of all market sales in the UK, but by twenty twenty-three, it had dropped to 18%, placing it behind the Netherlands and Morocco.

Despite a 4% drop in UK tomato imports, Spanish tomatoes increased in value from over four million euros in two thousand four to six in twenty twenty-three, reflecting a rise in prices. Spain, now in third place, commands the highest price per kilo among top suppliers.

Let’s turn to a couple festivals now, starting with the mighty Mercè. Les Festes de la Mercè is held annually, and celebrates Barcelona's patron saint, Our Lady of Mercy.

The festival features a diverse array of cultural activities, including the Mercè cavalcade parade, the correfoc fire run, human towers known as castellers, and the traditional procession of giants and dwarfs.

Finally, if wine is your vibe, then the Rioja Wine Harvest Festival might be for you.

The event, held in Logroño, la Rioja, and also known as the San Mateo festivities, focuses on wine and grapes. Highlights include the traditional foot-crushing of grapes and offering the first pressing honoring the Virgen de Valvanera, their patron saint.

The festival also features bull-running, parades, music, communal meals, and traditional games.

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

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¡Hasta la próxima!