INSIDE OTWO | MARCH 2026
INSIDE OTWO | MARCH 2026
A tame version of‘ Los Locos del Parque’
It is always worth keeping an eye out for the cultural events that the Ateneo de la Bahía del Campo de Gibraltar promotes with enviable regularity. Although, on this occasion, the spirits of nature seemed a little mischievous, playing with the sound and causing more than one thunderous microphone feedback. Was it a simple accident or a sign that something was not quite right? Umberto Eco’ s account of the impossibility of interpreting signs comes to mind, with his beautiful anecdote about the flooded valley. But that’ s another story; look it up and you’ ll understand what I mean.
As is often the case, the Unión Deportiva Cultural Linense hall was packed. And then the colloquial and carefree voice of naturalist Rafael Cerpa unfolded, telling the story of the volunteers in the recovery of the Princesa Sofía park in La Línea. Between descriptions of the environmental benefits of this space, which is essential for birds, Cerpa also spoke of the efforts of a small group of people who, with more courage than resources, set out to clean up a place that has always been a speculative temptation for all municipal corporations, regardless of their political orientation. He also mentioned the educational and social activities carried out in the facilities of the former El Barco restaurant, which has been the group’ s headquarters until now.
However, the speech was always politically correct, presenting a superficial and watered-down view of a movement that at one time had municipal leaders on the ropes with its disobedience and resistance to pruning, a force that they have not been able to maintain to the present day.
Only because someone in the audience brought it up was there any mention of the park’ s original defenders, such as ALDEPAMA, or the more activist phase of the previous leadership. With that energy now exhausted, and following an organisational change with new leadership, we can consider the chapter of‘ Los Locos del Parque’ to be almost closed, replaced by the current‘ Locos POR el Parque’. This semantic shift demonstrates, in essence, the victory of power over citizenship. They have already been evicted from the premises, the site has been closed— contrary to all the guidelines of the specialists— and although we are told that they are building a lagoon, what is really being offered is a victim as an offering to the Holy Market. May the true Locos del Parque rest in peace. The current ones are closer to a‘ Happy Meal’ than to a substantial, nutritious and authentic stew.