SPAIN: U.S. Captures Maduro & more – 8th Jan 2026

Buenos días from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Spain Update from the 8th of January twenty twenty-six. A quick summary of what's going down in Spain.

Kicking things off, on Saturday, the 3rd, President Pedro Sánchez said that the country wouldn’t recognize the United States’ military intervention in Venezuela if the International Court of Law reaches a consensus that the US has violated international law.

Earlier on Saturday, the US captured and arrested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. President Donald Trump announced that the United States would oversee Venezuela during a safe transitional period

Sánchez stressed that his government’s position does not imply support for U.S. foreign intervention that could destabilize the region, while reiterating that Spain has never recognized the Maduro government.

To know more about this story, check out the Rorshok Venezuela Update. Link in the show notes!

More on Sánchez, as on Tuesday the 6th, he indicated after a Coalition of the Willing meeting in Paris, that the country may deploy troops to Ukraine as part of a post-ceasefire peacekeeping mission.

Speaking after the meeting, Sánchez announced plans to begin consultations with foreign leaders to discuss Spain’s potential role in Ukraine’s peace process. He said Spain’s contribution could include both reconstruction efforts and military capabilities. When asked directly about sending Spanish service members, Sánchez noted that the country has taken part in similar missions elsewhere and questioned why Europe should be an exception.

Sanchez’s remarks align Spain with other Western allies considering troop deployments, including Canada, Germany, the UK and France.

Meanwhile, over the last week, Spain has started implementing new trade restrictions on Israel that analysts say could encourage a broader EU response.

The measures are enforced through a Royal Decree that was proposed in September last year. They require all Israeli imports to clearly state their place of origin and prohibit the import of goods originating from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights.

While the economic impact on Israel is expected to be limited, experts describe the move as highly symbolic and potentially influential, giving political cover to other EU states to adopt similar measures. Spain’s actions reflect its increasingly critical stance toward Israel since the Gaza war.

In unrelated news, a recent El País report suggests Spain is undergoing a gradual but noticeable rightward shift in public opinion that extends beyond election results.

Survey data show growing support for centralism, a stronger national identity, lower taxes at the cost of public services, and increased scepticism toward feminism, climate action, and state intervention. Concern about over-immigration has also risen, while worries about the climate have fallen. The report also suggests that most Spaniards still support democracy, but that support is weakening, with a small but growing openness to authoritarian alternatives.

So, what do you think? Is this happening in your country as well?

Check out the report in Spanish with the link in the show notes.

Next up, on Sunday, the 4th, Spanish authorities warned of a surge in sophisticated phishing emails falsely claiming to be from Social Security, catching thousands of users off guard.

Unlike obvious scams, these emails look routine and professional, often stating that a notification or document requires review. They include an attachment that opens an HTML file mimicking the official Social Security portal. When users enter their login credentials, scammers capture the information, enabling identity theft and further fraud.

Authorities have emphasized that Social Security will never request passwords or access credentials via email. Citizens should avoid opening attachments, use only the official website for services, and report suspicious emails to help cybersecurity teams track and stop the campaign.

Speaking of scams, on Tuesday, the 6th, authorities warned that scammers are using AI-generated TikTok videos to impersonate Princess Leonor, the twenty-year-old heir to the Spanish throne. Fake accounts promise large payouts in exchange for an upfront fee, then repeatedly demand more money before disappearing, according to the Princess of Asturias Foundation.

News outlet El País reported that phone numbers linked to the scam originate in the Dominican Republic and that some videos have attracted over one million views. The foundation emphasized that neither it nor Princess Leonor offers financial aid or lotteries, and that all such messages are fraudulent.

In other news, the start of twenty twenty-six marks the 40th year that Spain and Portugal have been members of the European Union, marking a four-decade-long transformation that began in nineteen eighty-six, shortly after emerging from decades of dictatorship.

In the eighties, both countries faced weak economies, high unemployment, and limited infrastructure. Since then, EU membership has driven profound economic, social, and democratic change. Spain’s GDP has grown from 226 billion euros in nineteen eighty-six to nearly 1.5 trillion euros in twenty twenty-five, supported by more than 185 billion euros in EU funds.

Beyond economics, free movement, the Erasmus program, and the adoption of the euro reshaped daily life. Even though the two thousand eight financial crisis exposed vulnerabilities, public support for the EU remains strong, and leaders in both countries reaffirm their commitment to European integration despite persistent structural challenges.

On another note, Storm Francis has brought widespread winter disruption across the country, delivering snow, heavy rain, flooding, and sharply falling temperatures.

Fueled by Arctic air, the storm prompted alerts in eleven autonomous regions. Cantabria in the north is under an orange warning for heavy snow and areas including Madrid, Catalunya, and Andalucía are on yellow alert. Low-altitude snowfall is also causing travel disruptions.

Over thirty roads are affected nationwide, including a major closure on the A2 near Barcelona, while flooding in Cádiz and Málaga in the south has led to the preventive evacuation of hundreds of people from their homes.

Let’s look to the stars now, as on Friday the 2nd, the tech company Indra Group announced that the country’s new secure communications satellite, SpainSat NG II, might have suffered an impact from a space particle while en route to its operational orbit.

SpainSat NG II is part of the two billion euro program, backed by the Spanish government to provide secure communications for Spain’s armed forces and government agencies over a projected fifteen-year lifespan.

Operators of the satellite call the unknown things that hit satellites space particles, as these objects are too small to track or identify. Technical teams are checking how much damage was done and what the next steps will be.

In media updates, according to Barlovento Comunicación’s Annual Report, traditional television remained the dominant audiovisual medium in Spain in twenty twenty-five, despite continued growth in hybrid and connected viewing.

According to the study, traditional TV reached roughly forty-six million unique viewers and attracted an average daily audience of about twenty-six million, with viewers watching just over 280 minutes per day.

Despite traditional viewing beating the competition, the study revealed that younger people prefer smart TV viewing, particularly through apps like YouTube.

On Monday, the 5th, a routine travel day in Spain descended into widespread disruption as hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled across the country.

By midday, over 500 flights were delayed and nearly thirty were cancelled, affecting major airports including Madrid–Barajas, Barcelona–El Prat and Alicante–Elche. Alicante was hit the hardest, recording over 100 delays and five cancellations.

Even though a single cause hasn’t been confirmed, Spanish airline operator AENA has said that operational congestion and knock-on delays across European airspace were the likely causes.

And to close this edition, on Sunday the 4th, the Decanter’s Wines of the Year twenty twenty-five article celebrated an exceptional year for Iberian wines, led by a standout performance from a Spanish favorite, Rioja.

The Spanish DOCa, the country’s highest wine quality classification, marked its 100th anniversary in twenty twenty-five, a milestone that celebrates its deep historical roots and its continued ability to remain at the cutting edge of modern winemaking.

The article highlights both established, iconic producers and a new generation of young winemakers, who are expanding Rioja’s reputation beyond its traditional styles.

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

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¡Hasta la próxima!