THAT TOMORROW MAY NEVER COME

None of us likes to contemplate our own mortality. However if I lived to be the same age as my father there is another 30 years to go. If I follow my mother another 20. Of course I could drop dead tomorrow or be run over by a bus but let’s say for the sake of argument its 20 which will take me to 2028.


I raise the subject because I’ve just been looking at a series of predictions for Spain in 2040 by which time I should have long been gone. Am I not concerned how future generations will cope, you ask? Not in the least!

About a year ago I was chatting to my cousin who is probably in her late 70s. She and her husband had just bought a new carpet for their house and she was worrying whether it had a 20 year guarantee or not. He told her not to worry, she was about to argue, then thought about it and saw his point.

So it is with purely academic interest that I read a report by APD and the Hay Group presented yesterday in Bilbao. Apparently by 2040 Spain will have the oldest population in the world – old being people aged over 55. So that’s old is it? In addition almost 40 per cent of the population will be non-Spaniards.

The report actually says foreigners but as a proportion of them will be my fellow country folk I should stress we’re not foreign, we’re British!

A depressing fact is that with the increase in the aging population there will be a skills shortage. Those of the ‘baby boomer’ generation will be actively encouraged to work on, at least part time, because we will have a monopoly on skills.

So that’s the long, peaceful retirement out of the window.

It appears the only real rest in life will be death!

RELATIONS WITH USA WILL IMPROVE

In marked contrast with the UK, where both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have set the agenda on foreign affairs, Spain’s premier José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has taken a back seat. Spain’s man on the international stage is Miguel Ángel Moratinos although I doubt whether John McCain has heard of him either.

This is a change here from the days of José María Aznar who was a frequent visitor to George Bush. Some say that Zapatero’s lack of international engagement is due to his poor grasp of other languages but it may just be that in Moratinos he has an effective advocate.

Whatever.

Moratinos believes that US relations with the wider world will improve once George Bush leaves the White House. He says this will be true whether George McCain or Barack Obama wins the presidency in November.

Speaking in New York where he is attending the General Assembly debates in the United Nations Moratinos was commenting directly on whether John McCain would welcome Zapatero to the White House if he becomes president. This is in response to a radio interview last week in which it appeared that McCain believed the Spanish premier was actually the leader of a Latin American country of dubious standing in the USA.

Moratinos would not be drawn on the US presidential race. He did say that: “Spain is a fundamental country to the USA with reference to the exchange in commerce, investment, the fight against terrorism, military co-operation, Afghanistan, the Middle East and of influence in Latin America.”

The head of Spain’s diplomatic service confirmed that relations between Spain and the USA were on a friendly basis of “co-operation and loyalty, but balanced without submission, defending the interests of Spain in the USA.”

Moratinos added: “The Spanish government has defended with dignity its interests in the USA and in the rest of the world. There has been no meeting at the highest level because George Bush has not wanted one.” Indeed Bush has never met with Zapatero during his term of office.

Spain, along with the rest of the world, looks forward to a new beginning with the USA once Bush leaves the White House. However the general feeling seems to be, whilst relations will improve, Obama will herald a brighter future than McCain.

WE ARE NOT GUESTS, THIS IS OUR HOME

Just after the riots in Roquestas del Mar in the first week of September I tuned in to ‘Gente’ on TVE1 where one of the Senegalese immigrants was being interviewed. The disturbances were sparked by friction between gypsies and the Africans who live cheek and jowl in the same quarter of the town after a Senegalese had been stabbed to death.

Enough column inches have been written about that tragedy so I won’t enter that debate now. What struck me though was that the African gentleman being interviewed spoke fluent Spanish and he and those with him were fully aware of their rights under Spanish law and were determined to have them respected.

Now over 275,000 Britons are officially registered as living in Spain and the number who live here either full or part time is probably treble that. Many are part of the income tax and social security system, they have invested in property, some own businesses and those who are signed on the census at their town hall can vote.

Britons are protected by the same laws as their fellow Spaniards and as EU citizens are fully entitled to live and work in this country – the same as a Spaniard is in the UK. Some years ago it was suggested to me by some older Spaniards that as a foreigner I had not rights. I am not sure whether that was the case in Franco’s time but I was more than happy to educate them as to just what rights we shared.

The reason I am raising this issue is that whilst the impoverished Senegalese living in a slum in Roquestas del Mar are fully aware of their rights, and insist on them being respected, many Britons in Spain behave as if they were just guests and wouldn’t say boo to the proverbial ‘fantasma’.

In a recent article in ‘Magazine’ on foreign residents in Spain a 68-year old man from Newcastle was featured who now lives in Mijas Costa. “Kevin and Wendy read The Daily Telegraph. They watch the BBC. They listen to Spectrum FM, a radio station in Marbella which only broadcasts in English. Kevin said: ‘Before we came, we were intent on learning Spanish in our country. We went to evening classes. But when we arrived here the reality is that nobody speaks it. We never have the opportunity to practice it.’”

So they don’t speak Spanish in Spain!

Of course the same situation exists in Britain amongst the various immigrant communities who insist on sticking to their traditions and language, especially those from Asia, and we known the average Britons view on that.

The fact is we’re not guests, we live in Spain legally, we have the full weight of European and Spanish law behind us and the sooner many Brits come out of the ghetto and start participating in the life of the country – politically and socially – the better it will be for Spain and for us.

CORRUPTION – A REAL DANGER TO SPANISH DEMOCRACY

Spaniards are not a corrupt people but sadly some of their politicians are. The problem is there is not a corrupt political party but bad apples in every party.

There has always been a low level of corruption in Spanish political society. The party in power at the town hall was always expected to look after “the family” of those who supported it. However before we Anglo-Saxons become too smug let us remember our own saying “it’s not what you know but who you know” which applies as much in Britain and it does in Spain.

The corruption that now endangers Spanish democracy is not the small “favours” but the large scale fraud that has been witnessed in Marbella, Estepona, Manilva and in town halls throughout Spain. This is largely based on illegal town planning deals that have gone to swell the off-shore bank accounts of the perpetrators including mayors and councillors whilst leaving the municipalities bankrupt with the local residents picking up the crippling tab.

In the dock working from left to right are PSOE, Partido Andalucista, Partido Popular plus GIL and post-GIL councillors of deceased maverick Marbella mayor Jesús Gil who have left their mark along the Costa del Sol. They have all been caught not with their hands in the till but with the actual till. This leaves the Spanish citizen and foreign resident at a total loss as to who to trust, who to vote for.

In my own municipality I would tend to support PSOE but because of the actions of the previous mayor I have tactically voted PA and Izquierda Unida at recent elections. However in the neighbouring municipality of Gaucín it is the Partido Andalucista that is at the very heart of the problem.

After the last election the socialists and PP formed an unlikely left-right coalition to keep the Partido Andalucista out of power. The PA mayor, Francisco Corbacho, faced trial and has since been barred from office for misusing town hall funds but is appealing the court ruling so is still a councillor. His fellow PA councillors have been accused of various town planning offences.

Recently the PP withdrew from the coalition but said it would vote with the minority PSOE administration. Then one of the two PP councillors broke ranks and last week Francisco Ruiz was elected mayor with the support of the PA councillors led by Corbacho who will now occupy the real seats of power in the municipality. The lunatics are now in charge of the asylum and Francisco Ruiz this weekend placed town planning at the top of the agenda and declared “El nuevo PGOU es vital, aquí comemos de la construcción.”

Gaucín is a rural municipality and the level of corruption is small beer when compared with Marbella and Estepona on the nearby coast. However this corruption is at the very heart of local society and those who support the PA in Gaucín back a corrupt party whilst those in neighbouring municipalities do not.

At the time of the discovery of the missing funds I lived in the same valley as Corbacho’s father. The word was that his father was beside himself with worry as he had to mortgage his home and land to raise the money to return the missing amount to the coffers. Therefore the notion that these crimes of greed are “victimless crimes” is nonsense. Corbacho’s father was a victim as too are the residents of bankrupt municipalities that owe millions, can’t provide a decent level of service, where the town hall workers are often unpaid and the municipal tax and other bills are huge.

There have already been major demonstrations in Marbella and Estepona by ordinary residents against those involved in the corruption scandals at their town halls. That is fine but the time is not far off when the people, who are being hit hard in their pockets, will be at a total loss as to who can be trusted and who can safely be entrusted with power unless drastic steps are taken by the major political parties to put their own houses in order. To date there is little sign of that despite pious words. If that breakdown in society comes it will be democracy that pays the price and we should fear even more the person who will be waiting in the wings to offer peace and stability to a traumatised nation.

SPAIN BACKS OBAMA

An opinion poll by Transatlantic Trends 2008 shows that 80 per cent of Spaniards have a good image of Barack Obama compared with just 33 per cent who view John McCain in positive terms.

On the wider stage the BBC World Service carried out a survey in 22 countries over July and August. Forty nine per cent of 22,500 people questioned wanted Obama as president compared with just 12 per cent for McCain.

If the 47 year old Democratic candidate wins 46 per cent believe the USA’s international relations will improve but only 20 per cent believe the same to be true if the Republican McCain wins on November 4.

Doug Miller, president of GlobeScan, the pollster who carried out the survey stated that it was very clear that the majority of people around the world favoured an Obama victory.

Yesterday I wrote: “If the USA wants to be the leader of the free world then the free world should have a say in who leads us. Give us a US vote I say!” Given the findings of these two polls I suspect the Democrats would support my call whilst the Republicans would set Sarah Palin on me.

GIVE US A USA VOTE

I am registered at my local town hall on the ‘padrón’ so am able to vote in Spanish local and European Parliament elections. However I cannot vote in Spanish or Andalucía general elections although as a resident of Spain what is decided in Madrid and Sevilla impacts directly on my life.

Only Spanish nationals can vote in general elections here. I am unhappy with not having a voice but the same situation exists in all EU countries so we all suffer from equal inequality. Likewise in the USA you have to be a national to vote in the presidential elections but should that be so?

Elect a government in Britain or Spain and it only really impacts within that nation as the EU now governs Europe and will increasingly set its foreign policy. However who is president of the USA affects the entire western world.

The saying goes that when America sneezes this side of the pond we catch a cold. Well right now the USA has the flu and hence we have caught pneumonia. In both domestic and international policy we can link the USA to our woes. Just two examples.

For years the USA has sold mortgages via the sub-prime market to people who could not afford to own a home. That bubble has now burst and not only are those folk defaulting on their loans but so too are people who previously were viewed as prime. This should have impacted only on the USA but because our banks and building societies fed at the sub-prime trough in search of profit they are now in crisis because the apples turned out to be bad. Hence the entire financial world is in chaos.

Both Britain and Spain participated in the Iraq war that was hugely unpopular with its citizens. Both nations also have armed forces in Afghanistan. However if the USA hadn’t decided to seek adventures in those countries we wouldn’t be there.

Now its US presidential election season. On one hand we have John McCain who is old for a candidate and a national hero plus Sarah Palin who is a hockey mom and wears cute glasses. On the other hand we have Barack Obama, who to quote a song is “young, gifted and black” and somebody else who nobody seems to mention.

Given McCain’s age Palin is literally just a heart beat away from the presidency and given the American habit of taking a pot shot at its leaders, the other guy may well have to step in to Obama’s highly polished shoes. Where does that leave us? Very worried I would say! Are these the potential presidents that we want?

If the USA wants to be the leader of the free world then the free world should have a say in who leads us. Give us a US vote I say!

1,502 EUROS – THE PRICE OF JUSTICE

The judge Rafael Tirado will face a disciplinary hearing this Wednesday and learn what punishment he will receive for his lack of action which could have led indirectly to the murder of four-year old Mari Luz Cortes in Huelva in January of this year.

The alleged killer, Santiago del Valle, was given a prison sentence in November 2002 by the Sevilla court that is headed by Tirado. He was sentence to two years and nine months in jail for sexually abusing his own daughter. The sentence was confirmed by the Sevilla court in 2005 but Del Valle never went to jail. Had he done so then he may not have been free to kidnap (which he admits) and murder (which he denies saying her death was an accident) Mari Luz.

Since the facts surrounding the case have emerged Tirado has been in the dock with Mari Luz’s family assured that he would face disciplinary action. The instructor of the case against Tirado is recommending to the Consejo General del Poder Judicial that he should be fined 1,502 euros for a serious offence and not face the very serious charge sought by the prosecutor.

The instructor, Wenceslao Olea, argues that Tirado’s inaction is justified by the chaotic state of the court system in Sevilla. He believes the very serious charge should not apply simply because he did not pay more attention to the business of the court in ensuring that sentences were enforced.

Now the Consejo General del Poder Judicial will decide whether the 1,502 euros fine should be enforced or whether the prosecutor’s demand of three years suspension from office with the possible ceasing of his judicial career.

The father of Mari Luz, Juan José Cortes, says he believes that the prosecutor’s decision to deem the charge as “very serious” is the correct one. He added that people “can have confidence in the justice system if they know that when the judges make errors, they pay for them.”

Certainly with power should go responsibility and if the Consejo General del Poder Judicial deems that Tirado has been seriously negligent in running the Sevilla court then a suspension and not a light fine should be imposed. After all Mari Luz paid for his mistake with her life.

THIS LITTLE PIGGY...

...My oh my, two animals in one day! First the endangered lynx and now the little piggy Lionel Barber who the ‘Asociación de Directivos de Comunicación’ (Dircom) would like to see turned in to bacon.

Lionel Barber is the editor of the august Financial Times in the UK. What has angered Dircom is that on Monday the newspaper carried an article in which it labelled the economies of Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain – as the P I G S to reflect the reality of their economies.

The president of Dircom, José Manuel Valesco, wrote a letter to Barber which was published on Friday in which he says the FTs remarks were both “disrespectful” and “denigrating”. He said the use of the word PIGS could not be accepted as a “play on words” or “a joke in bad taste” because they showed a lack of respect for the citizens, political representatives and businesses of the companies concerned.

Valesco went on to say that the FTs arguments were “superficial” also pointing out that the problems faced by the Spanish and other economies were largely external and from the same source that was hitting the USA and the UK. In addition he stated that the Spanish economic had enjoyed long term growth and the country was a major attraction to those who came to retire here or to spend long or short-term holidays.

Just last weekend the British Chancellor, Alistair Darling, was quoted in The Guardian as saying the economic times “are arguably the worst they’ve been in 60 years ... and I think it’s going to be more profound and long-lasting than people thought.” The headlines immediately proclaimed he had admitted the economy was about to go into its most savage downturn since World War 2. He has since backtracked from that and says he was referring to the world economy.

None the less since then the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has forecast that the UK economy will shrink 0.3 per cent in the third quarter, and by 0.4 per cent in the fourth. The definition of a recession is two successive quarters of negative growth. According to official UK data released last month, the economy came to a standstill during the second quarter of 2008.

In contrast the economy in Spain is taking one hell of a battering but the government is adamant that it will continue to grow and that a recession will be avoided. Economic Secretary David Vegara is standing by his forecast that growth would fall to a 15-year low of 1.6 percent this year from 3.7 percent in 2007 but dismissed talk of a recession. Spain is also only one of the euro zone’s four big economies not to shrink during the second quarter.

What I know about the economy you could write on a one euro coin which I believe is still outperforming the pound. One hopes that the article was written in the spirit of warped but good old fashioned “British humour” and that the FT wasn’t being pig headed, piggish, attempting to hog the headlines or telling “pork pies” but you must remember, no FT, no comment.

THE ENDANGERED LYNX

There has been rather a rich diet on this blog this week with two days of prostitution and yesterday’s denied allegations that the former president of the Spanish Government, José María Aznar, was the father of French Justice Minister Rachida Dati’s unborn child.

Today I’m going to deal with a life and death issue, that of the endangered Iberian Lynx. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Adena have reported that they are very concerned about the population of Lynxes in the Doñana national park and state that it has dropped by 20 per cent in recent years. This they say “is very discouraging”.

In a press release WWF/Adena has called for the implementation of an immediate emergency plan to overcome the basic problems faced by these cats and to do what is necessary to save this species rather than the present random and uncoordinated actions.

The WWF/Adena has criticised the current programme that concentrates on the relocation of Lynxes or breeding programmes and says these are of a secondary nature. In calling for a return to basics the environmentalists say the priorities should be the conservation of their habitat that is under threat from intensive farming and irrational construction of infrastructure. In addition the state of the population, the increasing deaths from illegal hunting, their illnesses and lack of food all need to be promptly addressed.

Previously lynxes born in the Sierra Morena have been moved to the Doñana and WWF/Adena says it opposes this programme because it ignores the international instructions on the reintroduction of endangered species.

The environmentalists argue that before a species is re-introduced in to an area there is a need “to identify and eliminate or reduce to a sufficient level the previous causes of the lynx’s decline and this has not occurred in the Doñana where the problems, not the solutions, are increasing.” In short WWF/Adena does not believe that the current strategy guarantees the survival of the species in the Doñana area.

In April of this year three of the four cubs of a Lynx named ‘Wary’ were found dead in the Doñana. They all died within a week and it appeared that the cause of death was likely to be hunger. The WWF/Adena stated at the time its concern about the breeding programme in Doñana and called for steps to be taken to ensure such a tragedy did no occur again. ‘Wary’ is one of three breeding Lynxes in Doñana that had been transferred from the Sierra Morena.

The fact is that if the Iberian Lynx is allowed to become extinct then all our lives are diminished. To find out more about the WWF/Adena and the endangered Lynxes visit their website: http://www.wwf.es/

INTERESTING AZNAR

If I had a vote in Spanish general elections I would not have cast it for former president of the government José María Aznar or his Partido Popular.

Not only do I oppose his politics but always found the diminutive Aznar rather dull and boring.

Until now that is when suddenly he is very interesting.

The Moroccan newspaper, L'Observateur, has alleged that Aznar is the father of the unborn child being carried by the French minister of Justice, Rachida Dati. She is of Moroccan and Algerian parentage.

Aznar has reacted with fury to the allegations and has ordered his lawyers to take action strongly denying he is the father. Rachida Dati has always refused to reveal who the father is.

As far as I am aware Aznar has not commented on whether he is a “friend” of the French minister. Nor do I know where this leaves the solid Catholic marriage of José María and his awesome politician wife, Ana Botella.

In Britain such indiscretions amongst politicians are deemed a disaster. However I remember the tale of a leading French politician of very mature years having been discovered to have fathered an illegitimate child. It was election time and it was suggested the fact should be revealed to discredit him. His opponent blocked the move declaring that if the news leaked out “everybody will vote for him”.

C’est la vie – isn’t that so José María ?

MUCHÍSIMAS GRACIAS FRANCISCO

Let me start today’s blog by thanking all of you who have taken the trouble to contact me over the past weeks with your comments. A special nod in the direction of fellow journalists Joe Garcia, Alberto Bullrich, Lenox Napier and Jon Clarke. I am more than happy to hear from readers whose views are fair, balanced and honest and I can be reached via the comment section or the blogs’ email.

However I was especially pleased to receive an email from Francisco Rubiales. Francisco is a respected journalist who was born in Villamartín in the Sierra de Cádiz. His journalistic experience is without question having been a writer for the daily "Madrid", a correspondent in the Far East and Mexico, director of the EFE offices in Cuba, Central America and Italy as well as an advisor to the United Nations. Later he was the commercial director and director of special information at EFE and director of communications at Expo 92 in Sevilla.

You will see immediately from his profile that he spent many years informing Spaniards on what was happening in overseas countries. Likewise I ply my trade by telling English-speakers about Spain and Gibraltar and when the wind takes my sails I stray slightly off-course but that is the privilege of a hack. Hence my sincere “muchísimas gracias” to Francisco for his kind comments about my blog.

Today Francisco presides over the Euromedia Comunicación group as well as the Fundación Tercer Milenio, writes for many publications and takes part in debate forums and gives post graduate classes at the Universidad de Sevilla. He has also published and edited numerous books.

Francisco hosts the blog ‘Voto en Blanco’ – you will find a link on the right side of this page. It is a blog – “para ciudadanos libres, para pensadores independientes, no para fanáticos.” For me it is required reading because it expresses interesting views on the Spain we live in today written by thinking people which are important to understand whether we agree with them or not.

The ‘Voto en Blanco’ is of course the blank vote that is a powerful (some will argue wasteful) option all voters in free countries have the right to use at elections The website explains: “El voto en blanco expresa la protesta ciudadana en las urnas. Es un gesto democrático de rechazo a los políticos, partidos y programas, no al sistema. Conscientes del riesgo que representaría un voto en blanco masivo, los gestores de las actuales democracias no lo valoran, ni lo contabilizan, ni le otorgan plasmación alguna en las estructuras del poder. El voto en blanco es una censura casi inútil que sólo podemos realizar en las escasas ocasiones que se abren las urnas. Esta bitácora abraza dos objetivos principales: Valorar el peso del voto en blanco en las democracias avanzadas y permitir a los ciudadanos libres ejercer el derecho a la bofetada democrática de manera permanente, a través de la difusión de información, opinión y análisis.”

If you want to encounter challenging views then this is the blog for you.

COULD CEUTA AND MELILLA BE TRADED FOR GIBRALTAR?

Over the years I have long argued that the day may come that sees Gibraltar in some form become Spanish and both Ceuta and Melilla become part of the state of Morocco.

The two enclaves on the north coast of Morocco have been Spanish for centuries. Melilla was occupied by Spain in 1496 whilst Ceuta was captured in 1580. Gibraltar in contrast was taken for England in 1704 and ceded in perpetuity under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.

The status of the Spanish enclaves and Gibraltar are very different. Ceuta and Melilla are integral parts of Spain – as Spanish as the mainland provinces of Málaga and Cádiz to which they have close ties. By contrast Gibraltar has been an often ill-used British colony. It is probable that the Rock is no longer a colony as such, although opinion is divided on that point.

Ceuta and Melilla play a part in the every day life of Spain voting in the nation’s general elections. Gibraltar has been considered little more than a military base, its strategic importance ebbing and flowing with the tide of world affairs, where the views and opinions of the residents have been given scant regard with no official voice at Westminster.

Spanish politicians and the Royal Family visit the enclaves on a regular basis. Only British politicians involved in the day-to-day affairs of Gibraltar visit there and no monarch would contemplate a visit for fear of offending Spain.

However both Ceuta, Melilla and Gibraltar share something in common. All three are coveted by Morocco or Spain. The visits of Spanish royals to the enclaves cause outrage in Morocco but Madrid doesn’t care. As I said no British monarch would visit Gibraltar because the Foreign Office in London would quake in its boots at the mere suggestion. Gibraltar has never been an integral part of Britain hence London’s indifference to defending the Rock’s interests over its own.

It is probably true to say that the people of Morocco do want to see the Spanish enclaves become part of their nation. As it is not a democracy it is hard to tell. In contrast the majority of Spaniards, except those in the Campo de Gibraltar, have no strong views on the Rock other than a vague sense that it should be Spanish.

This is reflected in a recent survey in El Mundo were just 12 per cent of Spaniards said they would not mind if Ceuta and Melilla were handed over to Morocco, so long as Gibraltar became Spanish. Only 5 per cent believe the enclaves should be handed over to Morocco immediately. In contrast 70 per cent take the view that the Spanish Government should protect Ceuta and Melilla “because they are as Spanish as any other cities” in mainland Spain. I should add that I do not believe that the man and woman on the Clapham omnibus hold any such strong views on Gibraltar. Llanitos may look to Britain but if Britons look in this direction at all it is to the holiday resorts of mainland Spain and its islands.

Whilst Gibraltar is not high on the agenda of the Spanish public, even if it registers at all, the fact is the Rock is a political Holy Grail. No party, especially on the right, is going to give up the sovereignty claim, and no party on the left is going to be accused of doing so, especially when there are so many other real issues to make a stand on.

However the problem remains. Gibraltar will always be a thorn in Anglo-Spanish relations especially as Britain has been seen to weaken and seek some form of joint sovereignty. Morocco has been given no such joy by Spain but these two nations face each other across the Strait of Gibraltar and peace, harmony and joint development is very much on the agenda.

I still believe that if Britain allows Gibraltar to become Spanish in some form then the pressure from Morocco will force Spain to move on Melilla and Ceuta. Or, if Morocco exerts strong pressure on Spain, a deal will be needed on Gibraltar to save face in Madrid. The decision might even be made on a tri-nation basis with, I suspect, joint-sovereignty being the key. I fear that when the time comes for such an international deal the views and wishes of the people of Gibraltar, Ceuta and Melilla will be given scant regard. The interests of thousands will not be allowed to stand in the way of the will of millions; they never have even in democracies.

TOMATO SAUCE

The ‘Tomatina’ was held in the village of Buñol in Valencia on Wednesday. By all accounts more than 40,000 people participated and over the period of an hour chucked 113 tonnes of tomatoes at each other.

The annual ‘Tomatina’ is now a world-famous event and attracted participants from all over Spain as well as a long list of nations including Australia (wouldn’t you just know it – they probably think its cultural), Sweden, Denmark, France, the UK, Japan and Russia.

Apparently this was the 63 rd year in which the tomato fest has been held, so being an investigative journalist I thought I’d better find out how it started.

I am told it has its origins in a fight with tomatoes amongst friends. Groups of youths had gathered in a square in Buñol to see the “Gigantes y Cabezudos” parade. One group that wanted to participate started taunting another and in the melee that broke out one group defended itself by throwing tomatoes from a nearby display. That was back in 1945 and by 2002 the ‘Tomatina’ had been decreed of National Tourist Interest.

I can’t think of any mad food orientated celebration in Britain. Stilton does a cheese rolling contest every May Day – but at least at the end of it you can eat the cheese. I wonder if the Dutch have a sport involving their cheeses? I know in Friesland they are dab hands at pole sitting. I presume that involves sitting on a felled tree trunk for hours and not squatting on a person from Poland – but with the Dutch you never know!

DNA WAKES SLEEPING DOG UP

Elisa Santafe recently filed an interesting report for AFP on the descendents of those who fled Spain during the 1936 – 1939 Civil War who are now offering their DNA so that bodies in mass graves can be identified.

Apparently it has seen a return to Spain of some of the children and grandchildren of the refuges from Franco who now live in South America, France, Italy and Switzerland. They met earlier this month in the cultural centre in the town of Aranda de Duero in Burgos.

Santafe tells us these descendents believe their relatives are amongst those who are buried in the seven mass graves in the area. To date 110 people have taken part in DNA tests the results of which should be ready by early 2009.

It is all part of a scheme being run by the Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory (ARMH). It has initiated this project in Burgos which it hopes will encourage the uncovering of more mass graves in Spain.

The ARMH, says Santafe, set up the first DNA bank in Burgos as it is a province in which a large number of people disappeared. Many rail workers unions were based in the area and the ARMH suspects that Franco engaged in “political cleansing” by removing them.

As in all civil wars there were atrocities and blood letting on the left and right. It is estimated that around 500,000 people, on the Republican and Nationalist sides, were killed in the civil war. However after Franco's victory, another 50,000 Republicans were executed by the victorious Nationalist forces with tens of thousands more sent to jail.

Today’s problem is that whilst Franco’s regime honoured its own dead it left tens of thousands of its opponents buried in hundreds of unmarked graves across the country. Hence last October the Spanish socialist government passed the "Law of Historical Memory" that provides state subsidies for associations set up to exhume the remains from the mass graves.

This initiative has again divided the country with many socialists and those on the far left anxious to learn what happened to their family and party members, whilst many on the right would prefer this sleeping dog was allowed to lie. As part of this process many of the street names and monuments that honour the Nationalist era are also being torn down. This in turn has not only upset many on the right but the guardians of the nation’s heritage as well.

For now my eyes for now are dim – but I will return to this subject shortly.

TELL ME WHY

Today I turn to domestic violence. Let me make it clear from the start I believe in zero tolerance for any person who is violent to their partner. Sadly many of these cases result in murder and whilst in the vast majority of tragedies women are the victims in a few they are the perpetrators.

Instances of domestic violence have become major news stories in Spain because in recent years the government has introduced tough laws to protect women from abusive partners. This had led to far more women coming forward to denounce their partners and to seek protection but sadly society’s ability to keep them safe has not kept pace.

As a result we now see regular grim reports of the violent slaying of a woman by her husband, boyfriend or ex. I do not believe that men in Spain have become more violent merely that our awareness of these cases is now heightened.

In every community where these murders occur there is an angry reaction similar to that which takes place after a terrorist act. That is right and proper because domestic violence is domestic terrorism. We must never allow ourselves to write these murders off as just another crime statistic.

So far this year according to the Instituto de la Mujer there have been 36 deaths from domestic violence. This compares to 71 in 2007, 54 in 1999 with a peak of 72 in 2004. The revelation of these grim statistics has shocked the nation and placed domestic violence high on the social agenda.

I was therefore stunned to see a report by the UK group Refuge that says that according to Home Office figures an average of two women a week are murdered in England and Wales by their partner or former partner. That would make around 104 a year and does not include Scotland or Northern Ireland.

I will return to these statistics on future occasions. Today I want to mention a report of an incident that occurred in early August around midnight. A man of 85 years was arrested in Jerez after he attempted to throw his 83-year-old wife from the window of their sixth floor flat in the calle Cartuja. She called for help and the police arrived to save her but not before she had suffered severe blows to her body that required hospital treatment.

There was no mention in the media reports of any previous accusations of violence by the husband towards his wife. None of the usual claims by residents of ructions, bitter rows or disputes.

It is probably safe to presume that they have spent at least 60 years of their lives together. Given the Spain of the times this would have been through more thin than thick. So why did the husband not only become violent to his wife but also attempt to throw her to her certain death from their apartment window? I should add this is far from an isolated incident and the number of cases of such violence amongst elderly people, whilst not large, is regularly reported on. From the photograph of their apartment they did not live in a poor district but I have no information on their background just a simple question – why?

SOME LIKE IT HOT

Here’s an interesting story that has been widely reported in the Málaga press over the last few days. It seems that Ronda has the highest percentage of female fire fighters anywhere in the EU.

Traditionally being a “fireman” was, as the name suggests, strictly a male pursuit but today, in Ronda at least, the person who turns up to save you in an emergency may well be a “firewoman”.

Twenty per cent of the fire fighters are women which places the town of the Tajo at the top of the European league.

It was back in 1985 that the first ‘bombera’ was employed in Spain. Obviously things have moved on since them and whilst women joining a still strongly male team feel some initial nervousness they soon bond with their male and female colleagues.

Alejandro Hurtado, who is the chief of the fire service in Ronda, stated: “We are companions from day one and they are perfectly integrated in the squad.” He added that he was perfectly satisfied with the work of the female crew members.

In Andalucía at this time there are over 2,500 fire fighters. Of that total just 32 are women and three of them are in Ronda. Some good way still to go before equality is established but as the ‘bomberas’ in Ronda say as a new female colleague joins up: “ya éramos uno más” – “now we are one more!”

By the by I am dedicating this piece to my editor at the Costa del Sol News, who yes is a woman, and who I know is a ‘bombera’ at heart!

CAN YOU REMEMBER WHEN?

There must have been a time when Britain had a Foreign Secretary. Was it back in the days of the last Tory government?

During the reign of Tony Blair he largely decided foreign policy and had bag carriers such as the ‘Startled Rabbit’ and ‘Caravanning Margaret’ to do his bidding. Today we have the Gap Year student. I find it laughable that he should have ambitions to succeed Gordon Brown when he is one of the problems in this lamentable administration.

So who decides policy and makes statements at the Foreign Office?

I ask because the recent statement by the FO alerting Britons to the ETA campaign in Spain has caused widespread anger both in government and media circles here.

A provincial paper that I read each day has on the back page a ‘Palmas’ (palm) and ‘Pitos’ (whistles) caption. Yesterday’s whistle was for Foreign Secretary David Miliband:

“Su comunicado alertando a los británicos sobre la campaña de atentados de ETA en zonas turísticas españolas es un ejemplo impropio de un país de UE, que debe ser más mesurado en temas tan sensibles.”

You can see Madrid’s point. The bomblets have neither caused damage nor injured or killed people and certainly haven’t deterred Britons from living in or holidaying in Spain. However by its statement the Foreign Office has given ETA the success it craved. Well done the Gap Year kid!

LOST FOR WORDS

I didn’t pen a blog yesterday. From early afternoon to late evening, like the rest of Spain, I had my eye on the TV and ear to the radio to catch the latest update on the unfolding tragedy at Madrid’s Barajas airport.

It started out as an “accident” with some 20 people injured and developed over the hours in to a full scale tragedy with over 150 dead. The worst air disaster in Spain in over two decades.

Spanair was already in crisis ahead of the crash having slashed costs, staff and routes to stay airborne. What effect this catastrophe will have on its future remains to be seen.

For me the most disturbing part of yesterday was late in the evening when young TV reporters with cameramen attached by an umbilical cord chased grieving friends and relatives through Las Palmas airport in search of a quote. If in my grief I had been confronted in such a manner then a hard punch to the reporter’s face may have communicated some of the pain and anguish I was feeling.

Have we become so immune to sorrow and suffering that we need a tearful and hysterical quote to camera to tell us how people are feeling in such awful circumstances?

It sadly appears so. I could weep!

A DIGNIFIED DREAM

I have nothing but admiration for the family of Mari Luz Cortés and especially the dignity of her father, Juan José.

On January 13 of this year four-year-old Mari Luz went missing in Huelva from close to her family home. At first, because the family are of gypsy stock, it was believed that perhaps her disappearance was linked to a feud. In the event her body was found on March 7 floating in the waters of Huelva’s port and her murderer is believed to be a convicted paedophile living just doors away from her home in the Torrejón area of the city.

I say believed to be as Santiago del Valle has yet to be convicted in court. He has admitted to taking her but claims her death was an accident. His wife and his sister who shared the same house are believed to be accomplices. The fact that this paedophile supposedly killed Mari Luz was dreadful enough but then it emerged that he should have been in prison at the time for other sexual offences.

For Mari Luz’s family from that nightmare came a dream which is now close to becoming a reality. It was achieved by a gypsy family, with all the prejudice this implies in Spain, acting with restraint, dignity and determination. For them there was no showboating, no media savvy family spokesman, no huge public fund.

The family started a petition to demand amongst other provisions that paedophiles convicted of murder were never released from jail. They knew that if they achieved 500,000 signatures then their petition had to be heard by Congress, the Spanish lower house of parliament. In May Mari Luz’s father met with the president of the government, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, with 505,040 people having pledged their support.

On July 23 both Zapatero and the leader of the Partido Popular opposition, Mariano Rajoy, voiced their support for the proposals of Juan José Cortes.

The number of signatures on the petition has now reached two million. Juan José says this extraordinary measure will help prevent future cases of paedophile murders and hence benefit many people. Not only is Cortes seeking the permanent imprisonment of paedophiles but also tougher sentences for sexual crimes against children plus the creation of a register that will be open to the authorities and those who work with children.

One gypsy family, working with quiet dignity, are building a lasting and meaningful memorial to little Mari Luz. They deserve our support and admiration.

SIZE DOESN'T MATTER

It was the sound of two small bombs that greeted me as I returned from my break to penning my blog. Three artefacts were placed on a Málaga beach, in Benalmádena Port and on the A-7, the latter of which was deactivated by police.

Although the devices have not been fully studied by the police the delegate of the government in Andalucía, Juan José López Garzon, stated today (Monday morning) that he believed no more than a kilo of explosive had been used between them.

ETA are the presumed authors of these attacks but the government is still not convinced that there is an active unit of the terror group in Andalucía. After the arrests of members of the Vizcaya commando they claimed that Andalucía had been a target and a meeting had been scheduled for August 16 in Granada to give the go-ahead for attacks on commercial and leisure centres. That date is significant because it is the peak of the tourist season and also coincides with the Spanish long holiday weekend that ran from Friday through to Sunday.

These two bangs may have been a reminder that despite the set backs of the detention of the Vizcaya group, the most active of the ETA gangs; the terror group was still around and could set off bombs if it wished to.

Much has been made of the small size of these bombs, the recent one in Torremolinos and also those set off in the Basque region on the Sunday before the Vizcaya arrests.

I am sorry to say that for me the size of the bomb matters little. If you were standing on or close to it then you would have been killed or injured. If you were nearby you could have suffered shock and died from a heart attack. If you were amongst the hundreds that fled the scene on the Costa del Sol and the thousands in the Basque region you could have been injured, suffered a heart attack and died at the scene or days later. If a person or persons plant a bomb, be it a kilo, a car bomb, a train bomb, they intend to maim or kill and hence they are as equally as guilty in my book.

See “Just As We Would At Home” Friday August 8