SPAIN: Spain in Venezuelan Politics? & more – 26th Sep 2024

Buenos días from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Spain Update from the 26th of September twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what's going down in Spain.

Kicking off this edition, Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González, who fled to Spain in early September, signed a letter accepting President Nicolas Maduro's disputed election victory while at the Spanish ambassador's residence in Caracas. However, Spain denied involvement in the move. Jorge Rodríguez, Venezuela's National Assembly leader, said the letter was signed in the presence of Spain's ambassador, but Jose Manuel Albares, the Spanish Foreign Minister, rejected any role in the negotiations.

González later stated he acted under coercion. One of Spain’s opposition parties, the Partido Popular or PP, accused the government of complicity in helping Maduro remain in power, but the Spanish foreign ministry maintained it only facilitated González's exit.

Next, Andalucia has confirmed its eighth death from the West Nile virus, equalling the amount from the largest outbreak in Spain in twenty twenty.

Infections continue to rise, with over eighty cases reported, surpassing the seventy-four cases from twenty twenty. The virus, spread by Culex mosquitoes, has led to protests from citizens demanding better coordination between authorities to combat it.

Critics argue that preventive measures are insufficient, especially with mosquito detections expanding beyond high-risk areas.

The Andalucian government defends its response, citing the virus's early and unusually severe outbreak this year, and promises improved prevention strategies for twenty twenty-four.

In other news, Spain is planning to declassify intelligence agency reports on the twenty seventeen Barcelona and Cambrils terror attacks, which killed sixteen people.

The move follows the reactivation of a parliamentary inquiry aiming to uncover the truth behind the attacks. The parliamentary commission will demand all relevant documents from public authorities, particularly regarding Abdelbaki Es Satty, the alleged mastermind with ties to the National Intelligence Center.

Former officials have accused the secret services of involvement.

Speaking of terror attacks, traffic between Gibraltar and Spain was halted for about an hour on Monday the 23rd of September after a suspicious package was found at Gibraltar Airport.

The Royal Gibraltar Police bomb disposal unit conducted two controlled explosions to neutralize the object, though it remains unclear if it contained explosives.

The discovery led to the closure of the Kingsway Tunnel and pedestrian crossings, causing significant traffic congestion. Roads were reopened after the controlled detonations.

The incident only complicates the ongoing discussions between the UK and EU regarding post-Brexit border arrangements to maintain frictionless movement. With no treaty finalized, new EU rules in November will require Gibraltarians to undergo biometric checks for travel into Spain, impacting daily cross-border traffic.

Next up, Spain has implemented a new night driving ban for new drivers, restricting them from driving between 12 am and 6 am in an effort to reduce accidents.

The Dirección General de Tráfico introduced the rule to curb risks for inexperienced drivers, particularly during nighttime, when 20% of traffic accidents occur.

The ban will apply for several years after drivers obtain their licenses, though the exact duration is not clear yet.

On to weather, on Saturday the 21st, the State Meteorological Agency or AEMET

put fourteen Spanish regions on alert because of heavy rains and storms caused by a low-pressure system. Affected areas include eastern Spain and the Balearic Islands. The warnings were classified as either orange or yellow, meaning severe weather may disrupt plans. AEMET recorded a few flash floods and overflowing rivers.

In Aragón, rain halted train traffic between major cities, and in the Balearic Islands and Catalonia, strong winds and flooding disrupted transport and events, including the cancellation of the Formentera Triathlon.

In the animal world, Spain is drafting a law to protect great apes, citing their cognitive similarities to humans.

The government is basing its decision on bioethicist Dr. Joseph Fletcher's fifteen criteria for humanhood, which include self-awareness, intelligence, and concern for others.

The law aims to ban harmful experimentation on great apes, restrict their ownership, and prohibit their use in commercial activities.

The Ministry of Social Rights emphasizes that great apes share genetic and cognitive traits with humans. If enacted, this would be the world’s first law stating the great apes’ special legal recognition.

On another ntoe, the World Jigsaw Championships in Valladolid saw 3,500 top puzzlers from around the world compete for top honors.

In the team event on Tuesday the 24th, participants raced to complete two 1,000-piece puzzles in under three hours, while the pairs final required finishing a 1,000-piece puzzle in under two hours.

Norway's Kristin Thuv claimed the individual title, completing a 500-piece puzzle featuring tigers and forest imagery in just over thirty-seven minutes.

Brad Pitt is in the news this week, but probably not in the way you’re expecting. Two women were scammed out of 325,000 euros by a fraudster posing as the actor.

This incident follows a similar case in which another woman lost 170,000 euros in twenty twenty-three. The impostor targets women on fan sites, building intimate relationships through WhatsApp and ultimately asking for money for fictitious projects.

Spanish authorities uncovered the scheme, leading to five arrests and ten people under investigation. The scam relied on fake identities and bank accounts linked to individuals from Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.

So far, the Guardia Civil has only recovered 85,000 euros and charged a few suspects with fraud, money laundering, and document forgery.

In food news, on Monday the 24th, Lidl Supermarket Spain announced plans to implement the Nutri-Score labeling system across all its products by twenty twenty-six, aiming to enhance consumer health.

The Nutri-Score, a color-coded scale indicating the healthiness of food items, is already present in 50% of Lidl's private-label products but will be expanded to cover all 1,700 products.

Spanish bakery-café chain Granier plans to nearly double its international presence by twenty twenty-five.

Granier currently has 270 locations in Spain and over fifty across seven countries worldwide. Granier aims to expand in markets like Venezuela, where it has opened thirty-one stores since twenty nineteen, and the UK, where it plans to grow from two to fifteen sites by twenty twenty-six.

The chain is also exploring franchise opportunities in the Middle East, Africa, Paraguay, and Italy. Michel Conde, Granier’s Director of Brand Expansion, highlighted the importance of international growth.

On to festivals, the city of Tarragona is gearing up for a breathtaking display of the traditional castells starting Sunday, the 29th of September, until Sunday, the 6th of October.

Castells, or human towers, can reach up to ten levels high, and are a very important part of the Catalan, Valencian, and Balearic island cultures.

The event will be held at the Tàrraco Arena Plaza, with the region's leading colles castelleres, or astle-making clubs, competing to make the highest tower.

Meanwhile, the Sitges Festival, the annual Catalan International Film Festival, is set to take place in the coastal town of Sitges, Catalunya, focusing on horror and fantasy films.

This prestigious event is one of the world’s most significant festivals for film and cinema. The festival will feature highly anticipated new releases, past classics, and short films, alongside a variety of activities.

A standout event is the “Sitges Zombie Walk,” where participants dress as zombies and roam the streets near Plaza del Ayuntamiento and the beach.

Aaand that’s it for this week!

Thanks for sticking around for this episode of the Rorshok Spain update! If you’ve got questions, thoughts, or just want to say hi, reach out at info@rorshok.com. Don’t forget to hit subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

¡Hasta la próxima!