SPAIN: Marches against Rent Prices & more – 17th Oct 2024

Buenos días from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Spain Update from the 17th of October twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what's going down in Spain.

To start things off this week, on Sunday the 13th, thousands of people marched in the streets of Madrid, demanding affordable housing and lower rental prices. Protesters chanted, Housing is a right, not a business, and expressed frustration over being priced out of their homes by continued rent increases.

In July of this year, the government announced a crackdown on short-term holiday lettings like Airbnb and Booking.com, after huge demonstrations against these in several places, including the Canary Islands, Barcelona, and Malaga.

In politics, on Monday the 14th, during an event in Barcelona, Pedro Sánchez, the President and leader of the Socialist party, PSOE, urged the European Commission to consider suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement, citing potential human rights violations.

The EU-Israel Association Agreement is a trade and cooperation deal between the European Union and Israel. It has been called into question due to the ongoing unrest in the Middle East - the conflict between Israel and Palestine, and the recent ground offense of Israeli troops in Lebanon.

This request follows Spain and Ireland's February appeal for an urgent review of the agreement, when the two countries officially recognized the state of Palestine.

Now, a story that is making the rounds across international media. A twenty-year genetic study has revealed that Christopher Columbus may have been Spanish and Jewish, challenging long-held beliefs about his Italian origin.

On Saturday the 12th, on Spain's national day, or Día de la Fiesta Nacional, José Antonio Lorente, a forensic expert, said that Columbus’s DNA is compatible with Jewish ancestry.

His findings suggest that Columbus likely came from the Spanish Mediterranean region, not Genoa in Italy. The research supports the theory that Columbus, who played a central role in Spain's empire-building, may have belonged to the same community expelled by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in fourteen ninety-two.

While some scientists are skeptical due to the lack of peer-reviewed data, the discovery adds a new twist to the explorer's identity.

Next up, proposed plans to continue the use of archers to reduce wild boar numbers invading tourist areas on Spain's Costa del Sol have sparked protests. As of this month, the local government in Malaga decided to keep paying professional archers to cull the large groups of boars, particularly by the coast. The plan started back in twenty twenty-three.

Residents and tourists in Malaga, Marbella, Mijas, and parts of Almeria have been troubled by the boars, which tear through bins, damage golf courses, and cause car accidents, often at night.

However, protestors from the environmental group Ecologists in Action have condemned this method of controlling the animals, calling it barbaric.

Now for a weather update. On Friday the 11th, Spain’s national weather agency AEMET issued extreme danger warnings for the south of Spain, particularly Sevilla and Córdoba, Andalucía, due to severe storm forecasts.

A red-level alert was announced, and heavy rain and flooding affected communities in Extremadura and Andalucía. These sharp changes in the weather came from storms Kirk and Bernice, born from Atlantic weather systems.

Now, AEMET has issued yellow warnings as Spain is set to receive the aftermath of Hurricane Leslie which hit the Caribbean and south of the US late last week.

Speaking of Córdoba, on Monday, the 14th, Deoleo, a global leader in olive oil production, hosted the first congress named Growing Together: The Role of Women in the Future of the Olive Oil Sector. The event coincided with the International Day of Rural Women and highlighted female leadership, sustainability, and innovation in the olive oil industry.

Let’s head to the sea, where this month, work to complete tech giant Meta's new subsea cable has arrived in Santander. This new cable, spanning over 7,000 kilometers, or 4,300 miles, connects Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to Spain’s north coast.

The project marks the company’s third major investment in Spain’s digital infrastructure, after two previous subsea cables.

It won’t be long before we’re all hanging Christmas lights, but for one Spanish city, the Christmas light crown has been lost. Until this year, Vigo in Galicia had held the record for the Spanish city spending the most per resident on Christmas lights, but in preparations for Christmas twenty twenty-four, Cadiz now takes its place. Cádiz’s council plans to spend the equivalent of nearly seventeen euros per resident on festive lighting, compared to Vigo’s almost eight euros.

In twenty twenty-three, Cadiz spent over 550,000 euros on Christmas lighting, so by general estimates, that could see the city spend well over 1,500,000 euros this year.

The decision has sparked criticism from opposition members in the local government, who argue that the funds should prioritize essential services. Despite the backlash, the government maintains that the investment will stimulate the local economy during the festive season.

In a community spotlight, on Monday, the 14th, residents of Caser Residencial Santo Ángel in Murcia celebrated the European Day of Languages, fostering cultural exchange between Spanish residents and residents from the International Unit.

The event featured a lively gathering where residents made and shared homemade food, symbolizing the blending of diverse European cultures. This celebration followed the Romería de Murcia, a famed pilgrimage held days earlier, with residents having a barbecue.

Tapas is serious business in Spain and two finalists from Salamanca in the North West are preparing for the National Pinchos and Tapas Competition and the VIII World Tapas Championship in Valladolid from the 11th to the 13th of November. Los Álamos Laboratorio Gastronómico, from Peñaranda de Bracamonte, was selected for its innovative dish using local products. Udon Asian Food, competing for the first time after two years in Salamanca, will also take part.

In celebrity news, last week, Hollywood actress Amber Heard was spotted visiting La Taberna de Almodovar in Córdoba, surprising the restaurant staff.

Amber Heard, who has lived in Madrid since June twenty twenty-three, enjoyed a meal with friends as she took a break from life in the capital.

The thirty-eight-year-old actress, best known for her roles in Aquaman and her high-profile marriage to Johnny Depp, speaks fluent Spanish and even posed for a picture with owner, Ángel Sánchez.

Over to Barcelona, where the immersive exhibition, Diego Vive, has been celebrating the life and legacy of football legend Diego Maradona. The exhibit opened on Tuesday, the 8th and previously ran in Naples and Tel Aviv.

Visitors can experience interactive features such as a hologram of Maradona in a Boca Juniors jersey, his first football team, take a penalty kick in his style, and recreate his famous Hand of God goal from the nineteen-eighy-six World Cup.

In other news, the twenty twenty-three Google searches are in. According to a report by news outlet El Espanyol, in Spain, despite a general and municipal election last year, ChatGPT emerged as the most searched-for term, Elections twenty twenty-three was the second most popular, while Woman's Soccer World Cup got the third spot. This was quickly followed by Rubiales referring to Luis Rubiales, the former vice-president of the UEFA, who is awaiting trial on charges of sexual assault.

But… and this is where it gets even more interesting, there were even regional differences: in the capital, it seems people were more interested in AI, Isreal and Shakira, as their top three, while in Barcelona first and second remained the same and Oppenheimer got third. In Malaga, AI was first and Copa Mundial Femenina de fútbol twenty twenty-three was spot two. What are your country's most searched-for terms?

And to finish this week's update. The Fiesta de la Rosa del Azafrán, celebrated in Consuegra, La Mancha, central Spain, during the last weekend of October, marks the saffron harvest. Established in nineteen sixty-three, the festival highlights La Mancha's culture, as around 90% of Spain’s saffron is produced in the region.

Saffron is used to make many traditional Spanish dishes, including Migas Manchegas, that is, fried breadcrumbs and chorizo, Paella, Caldereta de Cordero, which is lamb stew, and Sopa Castellana, garlic soup.

If you want to cook like a true Spaniard, there’s a link to Spanish Recipes by Nuria in the show notes!

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

We hope you're enjoying the Spain update as much as we enjoy making it. Got thoughts, questions, or ideas? Send us an email at info@rorshok.com, and don’t forget to subscribe on your go-to podcast platform!

¡Hasta la próxima!