SPAIN: Puigdemont’s risky trip & more – 15th Aug 2024

Buenos días from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Spain Update from the 15th of August twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what's going down in Spain.

First up this week, Carles Puigdemont, Catalan separatist leader and former Catalan president made a surprise visit to Barcelona on Thursday the 15th of August, despite the risk of being arrested.

The Catalan police made no significant effort to capture Puigdemont, citing challenges in executing the arrest during his public appearance. He has been wanted in Spain for the organization of the Catalan independence referendum of twenty seventeen, which was deemed illegal and unconstitutional by the Spanish government.

His appearance came at a critical time, coinciding with the election of Salvador Illa as Catalunya’s regional president, a key ally of Spanish President Pedro Sánchez.

Everything went smoothly, as Catalunya’s parliament successfully elected Illa as planned, following an agreement between Sánchez's Socialist Party and the Catalan Republican Left Party.

Up next, over 300 migrants have attempted to cross the Tarajal border between Morocco and the autonomous Spanish city of Ceuta.

From Sunday the 11th to Monday the 12th, migrants surged across the border, overwhelming the Spanish Civil Guard and prompting joint efforts with Morocco's Royal Gendarmerie to prevent further crossings.

Most migrants, including many minors, tried to swim from nearby Moroccan beaches, leading to numerous rescues at sea by border forces and lifeguards. The Red Cross provided medical care, mainly treating cases of hypothermia and minor injuries.

This wave of migration has strained Ceuta's resources, with nearly 400 minors now in overcrowded shelters. The regional government is appealing for assistance from other Spanish communities, but responses have been so far limited, as the situation intensifies security demands and highlights the challenges of managing migration in the region.

Looking to South America, a recent poll conducted by Sigmados for El Mundo, a social and market researcher, reveals that over 65% of Spanish people believe the government should recognize the opposition's victory in Venezuela and reject Nicolás Maduro's re-election because it’s highly contested. Since the elections on the 28th of July, widespread protests have erupted over alleged fraud. Nicolás Maduro's declared 52% win is contested by the opposition, which claims their candidate received 67% of the vote, sparking international criticism and demands for transparency.

Sigmados’ poll shows clear political divides in Spain. Over 87% of Vox voters support the opposition’s win, while only 40% of Sumar voters support Maduro's resignation.

This is a topical issue in Spain, as a significant Venezuelan population lives across the peninsula. Over 27,000 immigrants arrived in the last quarter of twenty twenty-four alone, second only behind Colombians.

Moving on, on Tuesday the 13th, the search for a possible Civil War mass grave began in Madrid's Montecarmelo neighborhood – the first democratic-era excavation of its kind in the capital!

The Scientific Association ArqueoAntro, contracted by the Ministry of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, is conducting the excavation where 451 international brigade members, killed between nineteen thirty-six and nineteen thirty-seven, are believed to be buried.

The investigation follows a prolonged dispute between residents and the Madrid City Council over a proposed rubbish bin project. After bureaucratic delays, permits were secured, allowing ArqueoAntro to proceed with the archaeological survey, which will include exploring two anomalies detected by ground-penetrating radar.

The summer Olympic games have come to an end, and with that, the Spanish team has gained a bunch of medals.

La Roja clinched Olympic gold in football by defeating home team France five-three in extra time in a thrilling match at the Parc des Princes in Paris. Sergio Camello's two goals in extra time secured Spain's victory in a game that could have gone either way right until the end.

This football triumph added to Spain's impressive medal haul. The nation excelled across various sports, winning golds in water polo, triple jump, and sailing.

Spain finished with a total of twenty-two medals, including seven golds, underscoring their strong overall performance.

Keeping with sport, UEFA has issued one-match bans to Spain's Rodrigo Hernández Cascante and Alvaro Morata for chanting Gibraltar is Spanish during a Euro twenty twenty-four victory celebration in Madrid, directly violating codes about using events for non-sport purposes.

The Gibraltar Football Association said it found the chants deeply offensive and filed a complaint. UEFA investigated and subsequently ruled that the players violated Article 11 of its disciplinary code. They’ve been banned from playing at Spain's Nations League opener against Serbia on the 5th of September, and the incident further aggravates ongoing tensions between Spain and Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory.

Let’s talk about everyone’s favorite small-talk subject – the weather. This summer’s extreme weather marks the fourth heatwave to hit Spain this year, gripping northern Spain, pushing temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, and triggering extreme risk alerts in Cantabria and the Basque Country, traditionally cooler regions.

Bilbao, one of the hardest-hit cities, saw residents and tourists struggling to cope with the intense heat. Locals described the conditions as unbearable, with people avoiding the streets and beaches.

The Spanish health ministry advised the public to stay hydrated, seek shade, and take extra care of vulnerable groups such as the young and elderly. The State Meteorological Agency says that temperatures are predicted to start dropping next week, so a little bit of relief is expected.

From one extreme to another, a forest fire near Corbalán in Teruel, Aragon, has spread across 280 hectares, prompting the deployment of the Civil Guard’s Explosives Deactivation Unit after several Civil War-era bombs were found in the area.

Some explosives have already detonated due to the fire. The fire, which is believed to have been started deliberately, is being investigated by Seprona, Spain’s Nature Protection Service.

The blaze has forced the closure of major roads and is being fought by firefighting teams, including the Aragón government's emergency services and the military emergency unit.

Despite progress in containment, the fire remains uncontrolled. Authorities are optimistic about the situation, with ongoing efforts still underway.

In art news, a major forgery bust has been solved after several months.

The Historical Heritage Group of the National Police and Albacete Provincial Police seized three counterfeit Picasso paintings and one fake painting by Benjamín Palencia Pérez, collectively worth over 13.5 million euros. Five people have been arrested for fraud and intellectual property crimes.

Despite knowing one painting was fake since twenty sixteen, the suspects tried to sell it for ten million euros. The Palencia piece was confirmed as a forgery by the artist’s great-nephew. The investigation, which started earlier this year with assistance from Picasso’s heirs, wrapped up last weekend. Proving once again that you can’t outsmart art experts, especially when they’re related to the artist!

Keeping with art, Spanish authorities are investigating a 39-year-old man from Los Villares, Jaén, for allegedly damaging ancient cave paintings in the Sierra Sur de Jaén by pouring water on them to capture clearer photos for social media.

The man reportedly uploaded the images to Facebook, prompting an investigation by the nature protection service, Seprona.

The cave paintings, which are protected by Spain's heritage laws, were created on limestone, and the water caused irreversible damage by dissolving salts in the rock, leaving a harmful crust as the water evaporated.

Spain’s Civil Guard has since urged the public to report any signs of vandalism to historical sites.

Next up, according to environmental organization Greenpeace's Crisis a Toda Costa twenty twenty-four report, Spain's 8,000 kilometers of coastline are under imminent threat from rising sea levels, with serious impacts expected by twenty thirty.

Iconic cities like Barcelona, Vigo, and A Coruña, along with popular beaches, face severe risks from flooding, extreme weather, and mass tourism.

The Mediterranean Sea is particularly vulnerable to warming, and is experiencing accelerated sea level rise.

According to news outlet El Mundo, over 300,000 people in Spain live in high-risk flood areas, with coastal erosion worsening, especially in Andalusia, Valencia, Catalunya, and the Canary Islands.

In northern Cordoba, Andalucia, a significant Roman-era discovery has unveiled three lead ingots, shedding light on the Roman Empire's extensive lead trade, which some historians link to its downfall.

Unearthed during gas pipeline work, the ingots, weighing between twenty-four and thirty-two kilograms, reveal Cordoba as a major lead smelting center in the ancient world.

The two ingots bear the mark of Societas Sisaponensis, an ancient Roman mining company, indicating the region's importance in metal exportation.

This discovery suggests advanced industrialization in Roman metal production and raises questions about the area's historical significance. It could potentially indicate an ancient mining town with a foundry and fortress.

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

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¡Hasta la próxima!