SPAIN: Fire & more – 29th Feb 2024

Buenos días from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Spain Update from the 29th of February twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what's going down in Spain.

Tragedy struck the Valencian region last week when a huge fire broke out in the Campanar neighborhood on Thursday, the 22nd.

Investigators say they suspect an electrical failure, particularly in the mechanism operating a shade canopy on the seventh floor, where the fire originated. Eyewitnesses reported seeing flames emerging from a balcony, possibly linked to the canopy or a curtain. The apartment's tenant was away at the time and told the police that they didn't leave any electrical devices running in their absence that could have caused the fire, which has been confirmed. The cause is under speculation, but the fire quickly spread across the fourteen-story building.

By Saturday 24th, the death toll had risen to ten as authorities found the remains of the last known missing person. Since the exact number of occupants during the fire remains unknown, authorities continue to search for any additional victims that haven’t been declared missing in the ruins of the charred buildings.

Moving on to the Koldo case, involving Koldo García, the former advisor to José Luis Ábalos, a member of the Congress of Deputies and former Minister of Transport. The case centers on the alleged corruption surrounding mask contracts exceeding over fifty million euros during the COVID-19 pandemic. It implicates twenty individuals, including García, who is accused of exploiting influence to secure contracts and pocketing 1.5 million euros from these dodgy deals, profit which he later tried to hide from authorities.

García was arrested on Wednesday, the 21st, and while allegations are mounting, pressure is growing on Ábalos and the PSOE, prompting calls for resignations within the party.

However, on Monday the 26th, Ábalos refused to leave politics completely. Despite calls by the PSOE for his resignation as an MP, Ábalos said that he would continue as an independent lawmaker to restore his honor. Ábalos left the PSOE coalition to join the mixed group made up of former coalition partners from Unidas Podemos who split from the PSOE-Sumar coalition in December. This move only adds further insult to the governing PSOE coalition, which now only holds 141 seats, far from the 176 needed to form a majority and pass policies through Congress.

Even Brussels got involved in the Koldo case, declaring Zero tolerance towards corruption. On Tuesday, the 27th, an EU Community spokesperson said it had requested the European Anti-Fraud Office to investigate Koldo García's alleged corruption case and is following the matter closely.

Now turning east, where a Catalan protest song adopted by a Polish Solidarity movement has become one of the theme songs of Belarussian freedom.

That may seem like a complex route to popularity, but the Catalan protest anthem, "l'Estaca," was actually once banned by Francisco Franco but resonated with Spaniards throughout the nineteen seventies.

In the nineteen eighties, it emerged as the anthem against the Polish Communist regime, and recently, a street musician in Belarus was reportedly arrested for singing it, accused of spreading "extremist materials and messages."

Next, if you plan to host friends or family in Spain, you should note that obtaining an official invitation from the police could take up to two months.

While not legally required, the invitation serves to clarify a visitor's purpose and length of stay, often requested alongside proof of round-trip tickets and financial stability for non-EU citizens.

The invitation involves submitting documents to the police, typically by a legally resident host. Notably, EU citizens are exempt from this requirement due to free travel privileges, but that's not the case for Brits and other non-EU citizens. Embassies are advising non-EU citizens to have the invitation in case you’re asked.

In other news, on Monday the 26th, twenty European leaders, including Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish president, met at the Elysée Palace in Paris for a summit supporting Ukraine to kick off the week.

While they pledged their motivation and determination, POLITICO Brussels Playbook says the EU's enthusiastic support lacks action so far. In fact, to date, North Korea and Iran have sent more ammo and weapons to Russia than the entire EU has to Ukraine. Out of all the EU countries, France, Spain, and Italy have given the least compared to Germany and Denmark. The question that Brussels Playbook thinks EU leaders need to answer is: Are they prepared to step in and make up for a flagging United States whose support has been questioned by the upcoming presidential election?

From EU funding to local efforts. Campaigners are rallying to save the country's historic castles from collapse and ruin. There are over 10,000 castles scattered across Spain in various states of disrepair, and conservationists want to draw attention to their neglected state through a comprehensive mapping project. News outlet El Confidencial will lead the initiative, which seeks to identify castles at risk of imminent deterioration, hoping to spur government action and public awareness.

While Spanish castles might need serious repairs, the local council is considering drastic changes to prevent a famous Sevillan landmark square from being ruined by over-tourism.

Jose Luis Sanz, the local Mayor, stated on social media that the city is considering charging tourists to enter Plaza de España. Built for the nineteen twenty-nine Ibero-American exhibition World Fair held in Sevilla, it attracts thousands of visitors daily, raising concerns about its preservation. Despite criticism from residents and tourists, the move reflects a global trend to balance tourism revenue with the preservation of cultural heritage sites. If plans go ahead, the local council said city residents can visit Plaza España for free but tourists will pay.

Continuing with the South, even though Tango might have originated along the Río de la Plata on the natural border between Uruguay and Argentina, the dance is hugely popular worldwide.

Between the 12th and 17th of March, Granada, Andalucia will host a new edition of the Tango Festival. The five-day event will bring over fifty Tango artists across fifteen shows and activities like public dance classes, parties, and street performances.

Moving on, two Spanish influencers have been arrested this week for allegedly sexually assaulting four underage girls after giving them drugs.

The influencers, known on TikTok as Los Petazetaz, apparently committed the assaults during a drug-fueled gathering in which many types of substances were abused.

The victims, who are based in Vallecas district in Madrid, reported the incidents, leading to the influencers' arrest. Investigations are underway, and authorities are treating the allegations seriously. Los Petazetaz’s accounts on social media have also been taken down since their arrest.

Laura Fuertes, the first female Spanish boxer to win a medal in a world championship and qualify for the Olympic games, opened up to the news outlet Veinte Minutos this week about her journey in the world of boxing and personal development.

Fuertes shared her experiences, discussing how boxing has not only shaped her physically but also helped her grow personally and professionally. She emphasizes the importance of discipline, perseverance, and self-belief among everything else.

She has won a bronze medal in the Mediterranean, European, and World Championships.

And finally, if you're an art and culture lover, here's a friendly reminder about some free museums and cultural experiences across Spain.

In Barcelona, the National Art Museum of Catalonia and the Picasso Museum offer free admission on the first Sunday of every month. Similarly, Madrid boasts free entry to major museums such as the Reina Sofía and the Prado Museums.

If you're in Malaga, Sundays offer complimentary entry to various museums, including the Contemporary Art Center and the Picasso Museum. Meanwhile, free guided tours in Bilbao are available on Sundays, enabling visitors to delve deeper into the city's history and art scene.

Wanna expand your horizons and check out your closest museum or gallery? Follow the link in the show notes.

Aaaaand that’s it for this week.

Do you know that besides the Spain Update, we also do others? Our latest ones are the Arctic Update, about the area north of the Arctic Circle, the Ocean Update, about the 70% of the earth covered in salt water, and the Multilateral update about all the world's major multilateral institutions. The other ones are all country updates, we have a selection of countries from Africa, Asia, South America, and Europe. Check rorshok.com/updates to see the full list. We left the link in the show notes as well.

¡Hasta la próxima!