The Town Crier Newspaper, Newspapers, News, Costa del Sol, Spain

POLITICAL ROUND UP

2007-06-04T20:53:00.002+02:00

The aftermath Last week's local and regional elections produced few surprises. Those who were tipped to win, won. The only - mainly expected - upsets were in the regional government elections. In the Canary Islands, the Socialists (PSOE) ousted the main opposition party, Partido Popular (PP), and in the Balearic Islands, coalition negotiations were still going on at the time of writing in an effort to keep the PP in power. In Navarre, the Union del Pueblo Navarro (UPN) - the equivalent of the PP - got the most votes but not a majority, leaving the Socialists in a position to form a coalition with the other smaller parties. However, this is an exceptionally sensitive area. The Basque terrorist group ETA and its political wing, the banned Batasuna party, have made it clear they want Navarre to form part of an independent Basque state, mainly because it will give them a frontier with France. Polls show that most non-Basques would not like that. Now it looks as if Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero may decide against entering into a coalition with pro-ETA or pro-independence parties and allow the UPN to rule as a minority, which would dispel accusations that he wants to hand the region over to ETA. This would be the most sensible decision because when all the votes were in and counted, it turned out that the PP won some 166,000 more votes than the Socialists. It doesn't sound a lot now, but it could make a big difference next March. One newspaper extrapolated the voting figures and concluded that the PP would win the next election by 147 seats to 146 for the Socialists. The overall conclusion of most political observers is that Sr Zapatero should sit down and do some serious thinking especially as the people of the city he governs from - Madrid - gave the PP historically overwhelming majorities - for Esperanza Aguirre as president of the Madrid Community (regional government) and Alberto Ruiz Gallardon, who repeats as Mayor. In an effort to wipe the PP from the political map, for the past three years Sr Zapatero and his cohorts have been doing everything possible to make people believe that the PP is the Franco dictatorship in disguise. They are quick to point out that many PP politicos come from Franco-supporting families. What they fail to mention is how many of their own come from a similar background. They came up with the Historical Memory Law, reopening the old wounds caused by a civil war that ended 68 years ago. They have tried to make out that all Republicans were "good" and all the rest were fire-breathing, blood-thirsty monsters who enjoyed torturing little children to death. What they never mention is that it was tacitly agreed after Franco's death not to indulge in show trials of the dictator's supporters had been involved in atrocities for the simple reason that a lot of Republicans would end up in the dock too. For example, the man who led the Communist Party when it was legalised after Franco's death - Santiago Carrillo - was the commissar in charge of Madrid when 5,000 men and women suspected of sympathising with Franco were rounded up and shot. It must also be noted that Sr Carrillo fully supported the return to democracy and the monarchy, and was booted out of the party for his pains. Then we have Iraq. Joining the allies in the Iraq war was the biggest mistake former Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar ever made. It was very unpopular with the Spanish people and Sr Zapatero made the withdrawal of Spanish troops his main commitment during the March 2004 election campaign. The day after he took over, he recalled the troops, and he's never stopped reminding people of this ever since. It had become so boring that just a few days before the May 27th elections, one of the allies who helped him form a government, Izquierda Unida general secretary Gaspar Llamazares, wondered aloud just how much more mileage Sr Zapatero expected to get out of the Iraq war. The same could be asked about the PP's "inability to come to terms with losing the March 2004 election" - which it had been tipped to win. Whenever the PP dares to criticise the government, which is most days, the first thing the PM or his spokesperson says is: "The trouble with you lot is you can't get over your election defeat". In fact, the odds were in favour of the PP until the morning of March 11th 2004, when bombs blew up several trains in Madrid during the rush hour, killing 91 people and injuring more than 1,700. The Socialists seized on the fact that the bombs had been set by Islamist not ETA terrorists to bring out the anti-war vote on Sunday, March 14th. What they never mention is that their followers attacked PP party headquarters in several major cities on Saturday, March 13th, a day on which all electioneering was prohibited in order to give people time to "reflect" on their vote the following day. All the pro-Socialist TV stations - that is, the majority - repeatedly showed images of the disturbances, which were encouraged by text messages that apparently originated in the party's headquarters in Madrid. These tactics have not helped Sr Zapatero. In fact they may even have been counterproductive. The same old song gets boring eventually. The big question now is: Will he be able to change his tune?

TAGGING OR JAIL

2007-06-04T20:53:00.001+02:00

The government will soon have to decide if convicted Basque terrorist Iñaki De Juana Chaos is to spend the rest of his last three-year jail sentence under police supervision at home or go back to jail. Doctors at the hospital in San Sebastian where he has been recovering from a hunger strike since March 1st say he is now well enough to leave. The government incensed ETA victims when it said it would allow De Juan to go home for "humanitarian reasons", after serving only 17 years for the murder of 25 people when he was leader of ETA's Madrid commando group in the mid-80s. De Juana has said he will not wear an electronic tag if he is allowed home.

NATIONAL ANTHEM

2007-06-04T20:52:00.002+02:00

The President of the Spanish Olympic Committee, Alejandro Blanco, wants to put words to the country's national anthem. More specifically, he wants them to be about sports and not politics. Sr Blanco said many Spanish sportsmen have commented that they feel out of it when sportsmen from other countries belt out the words to their respective countries' anthems. He said: "They want to express their pride in their country, just as the English and the French do." Apparently the government has already given him the go-ahead and he is now looking for the right auteur.

THE OLDEST BREED OF HORSE IN EUROPE

2007-06-04T20:52:00.001+02:00

The Higher Council of Scientific Research (CSIC) has said that the wild horses known as retuertas which live in the Doñana Nature Reserve are the oldest breed of horse in Europe. The authors of the CSIC's genetic study said the 60-strong herd of retuertas which are found nowhere else but Doñana is the last wild horse population in Europe to live in complete isolation from other breeds. They said their study is drumming up support for the retuertas horse to be recognised as a breed native to Andalusia.

FISHING BOAT SANK IN HEAVY SEAS

2007-06-04T20:51:00.000+02:00

Divers spent two days searching for the body of the third crew member of the fishing boat, the Nuevo Amadorín, which sank in heavy seas off the coast of Lugo in Galicia lat Monday. Oscar Blanco, aged 19, was the son of the boat's owner, Máximo Blanco Galdo, whose body was recovered not long after the boat when down, together with that of the other crew member, Peruvian Félix Armando Peña, whose body was flown home for burial.

TEACHER AWARDED LESS THAN 9 EURO A DAY FOR ATTACK

2007-06-04T20:50:00.002+02:00

Cordoba's Juvenile Court has sentenced the parents of a boy who attacked a teacher at a school in Posadas to pay a fine of 2,000 euros. The secretary general of the city's Independent Public Employees' Association told reporters that it was not enough. He said the teacher had to take 225 days off work to recover from the attack, which worked out at a compensation of 8,.9 euros a day.

PP WILL DECIDE ON LEGALITY OF BANDERAS VILLA

2007-06-04T20:50:00.001+02:00

Antonio Banderas's attempt to help the Socialist Party (PSOE) win the local election in Marbella might backfire on him. He confidently announced his voting intention just days before the March 27th election, which the main opposition party, the Partido Popular (PP) won with a resounding majority. Unfortunately for Sr Banderas it is now the PP which will have to decide whether his beach villa - declared illegal several years ago - will be among those to be demolished.

1800 VOTED FOR ELVIS LOOK A LIKE

2007-06-04T20:49:00.000+02:00

Elvis impersonator Ariel Santamaría was elected councillor in the March 27th local elections in the town of Reus near Barcelona for the independent CORI party. A former postman, Santamaría gave a series of concerts around the town, to publicise his proposal to have marihuana planted in all the town's green areas. He also wants the Guardia Urbana to carry a GPS satellite system at all times so they can find people who have forgotten their lighters and give them a light for their spiff. If he has his way, the Town Hall will be painted pink and the town square will be converted into a swimming pool for nudists. To give his campaign more oomph, his press secretary attended to reporters dressed as a pirate, eye patch included. Despite these eccentricities, 1,800 people voted for Santamaría.

SPAIN HAS THE MOST BLUE FLAGS

2007-06-04T20:48:00.000+02:00

Despite the fact that the European Commission has suspended the water quality of 14 beaches in Spain - five of them on the Costa del Sol - the country continues to have the most blue flags in the world, a total of 499 this year, or one in seven beaches. A total of 77 marinas have also been awarded the flag. Galicia, which has fully recovered from the Prestige oil tanker disaster of Novemeber 2002, is now the region with the most blue flags for beach quality - 127 - followed by Cataluña with 108, Valencia with 107 and Andalucia with 72. Of the islands the Balearics have 80 and the Canaries 30.

MADELEINES PARENTS VISIT SPAIN

2007-06-04T20:44:00.002+02:00

The parents of abducted Madeleine McCann were in Madrid last Friday as part of a tour of several European countries to publicise their daughter's case. They met the UK ambassador to Spain, Denise Holt, and Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba. The McCanns also appeared on a Spanish television programme called Los Mas Buscados (The Most Wanted) which appeals for help to find missing people. As well as making their own plea, they mentioned Spain's own missing child - seven-year-old Yeremi Vargas, who disappeared in the Canary Islands two months ago. Mr McCann said: "We do realise that there are other families in Spain who have had similar experiences, particularly the family of the young boy Yeremi from Gran Canaria. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and with other families going through a similar experience to us." Earlier, the couple met representatives from child welfare organisations, including the Associacion Contra la Pornogafia Infantil, an anti-paedophile group.

RICE VISIT SPARKS DEMO

2007-06-04T20:44:00.001+02:00

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made a her first lightning visit to Madrid last Friday for talks with Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos to restore ties between the two countries which have been frosty since Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero withdrew Spanish troops from Iraq after he won the March 2004 election. But disagreements remain, notably over Cuba. While Ms Rice was visiting King Juan Carlos, Sr Zapatero and Opposition leader Mariano Rajoy, the Spanish government was holding talks with Cuba on human rights on the island. When Sr Moratinos assured reporters at a press conference that he believed the US would one day agree with Spain's policy on Cuba, Ms Rice was heard to mutter: "Don't hold your breath." Apart from Cuba, the US has expressed anger about an arms deal between Spain and Venezuela's leader, Hugo Chavez, a man the US regards as a destabilising force in Latin America. Meanwhile, Spanish Defence Minister Jose Antonio Alonso complained about "indiscriminate bombardment" carried out by US and Afghan forces, that killed civilians in Afghanistan. Ms Rice blamed Taleban militants for hiding among civilian populations. She also said she would like to see Nato allies do more in Afghanistan, "and Spain is included in that list". A `policeman cuts the chains of youths dressed like prisoners at the US military base in Guatanamo, Cuba. They had chained themselves to the fountain in Plaza Cibeles to protest Ms Rice's visit to Madrid.

FRENCH PRESIDENT VISITED SPAIN

2007-06-04T20:43:00.000+02:00

Nicolas Sarkozy made his first visit to Spain as President last week, although he has visited the country several times in the past almost as a native son - his wife Cecilia is the granddaughter of the famous Spanish composer Isaac Albeniz. During his meeting with Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the main item on the agenda was how to breathe life back into the European Constitution, which the French voted against, and the Spanish voted for in their respective referendums. They also agreed to continue to fight against terrorism, most notably against the Basque terrorist group ETA, in which the French police have been so successful that ETA members are now seeking refuge in countries further afield, such as Britain and Italy. Mr Sarkozy also met his old friend, opposition leader Mariano Rajoy, before having a private diver with King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia and other members of the Royal family.

I NEVER THOUGHT IT COULD HAPPEN TO ME CAMPAING

2007-06-04T20:42:00.000+02:00

In the Traffic Authority's latest campaign to convince people not to drink and drive, 110 people who have ended up in a wheelchair because of a traffic accident will be accompanying the Highway Guardia at breathalyser control points. Their message: "I never thought it could happen to me, but I had an accident and ended up in this wheelchair. Don't let it happen to you." Meanwhile, a judge in Logroño heard how a 58-year-old man killed two cyclists in two separate accidents 20 days apart. The man, who had a stroke a few months ago, told the judge he could remember the first accident but not the second, both of which happened on straight stretches of road. Police said he passed the breathalyser test on both occasions. The judge has not yet delivered a sentence.

SPANISH FISHERMEN SAVE IMMIGRANTS FROM CERTAIN DEATH

2007-06-04T20:39:00.000+02:00

The Spanish sea rescue ship Clara Campoamar docked in Tarragona last Saturday afternoon with 26 African immigrants on board who had been saved from certain death at sea by the Spanish fishing boat Montfalcó. The immigrants' flimsy cayuco was adrift between the Libyan coast and Malta when it was spotted by the captain of the Montfalcó on May 26th, after having been refused permission to land at Malta. The immigrants, all men from the Ivory Coast, were attempting to make it to Italy, but their cayuco started taking in water near Malta. Montfalcó's captain, Rubén Vazquez Rey, obeying the law of the sea, went to their rescue. Speaking over the ship's radio after the rescue, Sr Vazquez said he had thought they were pirates at first until he saw how they were dressed. "They were obviously immigrants in distress and would have died if we hadn't passed so close to them," he said. However, the Montfalcó was built to hold a crew of three and their provisions comfortably and Sr Vazquez appealed for help to get the men safely ashore. The Spanish government sent the Clara Campamar to meet the Montfalcó to the south of Sicily to pick up the immigrants, who were packed "like sardines" in every available space on the smaller boat. The two vessels met up on Friday. The rescued men have been transferred to different Red Cross centres while the government decides to give them political asylum or not. It was not the first time a Spanish boat has rescued immigrants in danger of drowning in the vicinity of Malta, which claims it is too small to allow "illegals" to step foot on the island. There was a similar incident last year which led to a heated diplomatic exchange between Malta and Spain. Malta claimed on both occasions that the boats in distress were not in Maltese waters. As a result of last year's incident the European Commission and the European External Borders Agency started a joint study to determine the responsibilities of the countries involved in incidents of immigrants lost at sea. The study, which is nearly completed, aims to link maritime and humanitarian laws so that "everyone is clear about their responsibilities", said Friso Roscam, the EC's spokesman for Justice, Liberty and Security.

40 MEGAWATT SOLAR PLANT PLANNED

2007-06-04T20:38:00.000+02:00

Ronda could have a huge solar electricity site in the future, if a project by a Catalán company is approved by the authorities. The 40 megawatt plant would be the biggest in Andalucía and acting mayor of Ronda Antonio Marín Lara says it would provide clean energy to the Campo de Gibraltar as well as the local area. The project would cost 300 million euros and the plant would probably be sited in the countryside near Ronda La Vieja or Serrato, in a location where it would have no environmental effect. This type of plant, which generates electricity through solar panels or modules, produces so-called clean energy because there are no CO2 or contaminatory gas emissions, no residual waste is generated, and the supply is unlimited. The mayor says the plant would be highly beneficial to Ronda, not only in terms of jobs and the local economy, but also because the town's street lighting could be supplied free of charge.

15TH CENTURY REMAINS UNCOVERED

2007-06-04T20:37:00.002+02:00

Archaeologists who are excavating beneath the Convento de la Trinidad in Marbella have uncovered remains dating back to the 15th century, including ceramics, tombs, and the foundations of a mediaeval house with valuable stucco features. The team, led by Ramón Hiraldo, has been working beneath the cloisters and the Santa Catalina chapel, and they believe their discovery gives important information about the history of the town and the site on which the convent now stands. They have also found the skeletans of between 15 and 20 children, which would seem to indicate that this was an official burial site for them, while the remains of adults inside the chapel are probably those of wealthy people who could afford to pay to be buried in a religious location. Marbella council has decided to open the excavation site to the public, probably from Tuesday to Thursday, and visits by schools are also being organised.

HOSPITAL COSTA DEL SOL TO INCREASE SUMMER SERVICES

2007-06-04T20:37:00.001+02:00

The Costa del Sol hospital in Marbella will be increasing its services this summer, unlike many other hospitals in the region which reduce services to a minimum because of staff holidays. The hospital management is aware that the population of Marbella increases considerably between July and September, and 1.4 million euros are to be spent on ensuring adequate medical attention. 1.2 million euros will be to cover the cost of substitutes for staff who are on holiday, and the remainder will be for additional staff for the Emergency Department. The hospital is expected to attend to more than 73,000 outpatients over the summer and to carry out 3,300 operations, which will be 600 more than in 2006.

FIVE MALAGA OFFICES BROKEN INTO

2007-06-04T20:36:00.000+02:00

A gang of thieves broke into five offices in the same block in the centre of Málaga on the same night last week, and they gained access by kicking down the doors. The robberies occurred in Calle Panaderos, which runs parallel to the Alameda Principal, on the night of Sunday 24th May. The owners of the offices arrived on the Monday morning to find the police waiting for them, and the interior of their premises in chaos with papers and files thrown all over the place. The police suspect that the thieves were looking for money, but they were apparently unlucky as only one office is believed to have had cash inside. Owners and tenants of premises in the block have now held a meeting to discuss installing a security door at the entrance to the building, and they are also considering installing a video camera so they can see who is trying to get in.

MALAGA AIRPORT PROJECTS OUT TO TENDER

2007-06-04T20:35:00.000+02:00

The Airports Authority has just invited offers from companies interested in carrying out three major projects related to the expansion of Málaga Airport. One of these is the new airport railway station, which will be much closer to the airport than the existing one, and will be designed so that in future it will not only be used for trains on the suburban line but also for high speed trains and the Málaga metro. The station, which will cost 23 million euros, could be ready within a year. The other two projects which were put to tender last week are the multi-service network which supports the transmission of data, voice and video throughout the new terminal and the two existing passenger areas, and which will cost 21.3 million euros, and the integration system which will provide real-time information about the electrical system, luggage transportation and climatization, among other facilities. This will cost 3.2 million euros.

LAS PEDRIZAS ROAD WORKS

2007-06-04T20:34:00.000+02:00

Resurfacing works are to be carried out on Las Pedrizas motorway in the near future, at a cost of 15.9 million euros to the Ministry of Public Works. The project will be carried out on 44.4 kilometres of the A-45 between Antequera and Málaga, from kilometres 122 and 166.4. Several layers of tarmac will be needed in some places where the road condition is particularly bad. This road is used by more than 50,000 vehicles a day, many of them lorries and buses, and the last time such works were carried out was in 2003.

NEW AVENUE BETWEEN CARTAMA AND ESTACION DE CARTAMA

2007-06-04T20:33:00.000+02:00

The contract has now been awarded for the first phase of the construction of an avenue between Cártama village and Estación de Cártama, at a cost of 3.5 million euros. The works will consist of transforming the existing road into a wide avenue with pavements, a bicycle lane and garden areas, and this first phase will be carried out on the stretch between the Jarifa school in Cártama village and the roundabout at the intersection with the A-7057 Churriana road. It should take 17 months to complete. The new road will be twice the width of the existing one, which will ease traffic flow, and five roundabouts will be built along it to provide better access to residential areas and other roads.

TWO ARRESTED FOR IBIZA SHOOTING INCIDENCE

2007-06-04T20:32:00.001+02:00

Officers from Fuengirola's Local Police force have arrested two people who they think were involved in a shooting incident in Ibiza in July last year. The men were travelling on a motorbike which was stopped during a routine check at the Torreblanca roundabout, and although the driver produced documentation in a different name, the police suspected that he is a British man who is allegedly a member of an international drug trafficking network, and who took part in a shoot-out between gangs in San Antonio, Ibiza, last summer. The drug trafficker is wanted by the Guardia Civil in San Antonio and there is also an extradition warrant out on him, issued by Belgium.

AGREEMENT REACHED OVER NEW MIJAS BUSINESS PARK

2007-06-04T20:31:00.002+02:00

The mayor of Mijas, Agustín Moreno, who has just been re-elected, announced last week that agreement has been reached in principle between the Town Hall, the Junta de Andalucía and those responsible for creating the Parque Empresarial business park. The council and the developers have decided to accept the land proposed under the terms of the POT land law, and the mayor says the new location will resolve the problem of the dwellings at La Alberquilla, will create a huge green zone and regenerate the area at the side of the river. It will also mean more land will be available for industrial and commercial use. The developers of the business park will also be able to recoup their original investment in the million and a half square metre site beside the Fuengirola-Alhaurín el Grande road. That site was declared of interest for protection under the POT, which came as a blow to those involved in the project, but Sr. Moreno says that after due consideration it has been decided that the new location has many advantages for the municipality and he believes definitive agreement will be reached in the near future. The business park will then be built to the north of La Alberquilla, and will consist of four million square metres of land, of which at least half will be for industrial use. The remainer will be residential and commercial, and will include a large green zone.

MARBELLA URBAN PLAN

2007-06-04T20:31:00.001+02:00

Marbella's future Urban Plan includes the construction of about 30,000 homes, of which 30% will be social housing in accordance with the law. The Plan has been drawn up by the Junta de Andalucía, and does not include any new building north of the motorway apart from in areas which are already consolidated such as Los Altos de Marbella and La Cañada. The areas in which the new growth is planned are on the peripheries of existing urban areas in order to avoid creating isolated residential districts, and 51% of Marbella's land will be zoned as not suitable for building. The regional government is also concerned about the amount of traffic in Marbella, which, with a ratio of 670 vehicles per 1,000 inhabitants, is higher than Madrid and Sevilla. The Plan suggests pedestrianising some coastal areas, giving preference to public transport on the old N340 highway, and abolishing toll charges on the motorway in order that it can be used as a bypass. The regional government also had some other good news for the new mayor of Marbella, Ángeles Muñoz, last week, as it announced that town planning powers would be returned to the council as soon as she has been sworn in as mayor on June 16th.

POLICE INSPECTORS ASK FOR TRANSFER

2007-06-04T20:28:00.000+02:00

Two police inspectors who have been playing an important role in 'Operación Malaya' have asked to be transferred, reportedly because of lack of support from the General Police Department for the work they are carrying out in the investigation into massive corruption at Marbella Town Hall. Both officers are from one of the teams in the Money Laundering section of the Udyco squad on the Costa del Sol, and it is believed that they will be transferred to El Palo district of Málaga in the near future. They are said to be highly experienced and professional police officers, and their department has been responsible for investigating 'Operación Ballena Blanca' as well as the now famous 'Operación Malaya' which led to the dissolution of the former Marbella council and over 100 arrests so far. Their departure from the investigation comes before one of the most intriguing puzzles has been solved: the identity of an alleged 'mole' inside the police force who kept Juan Antonio Roca, who is suspected of being the brain behind the corruption, informed.