Nuts warning
The Health Ministry says a British ice
cream on sale in Spain may have an
“undeclared presence of nuts.” The label on
the brand Ice King does not warn that it
may include nuts which can trigger an
allergic reaction, but British consumer
authorities reported that traces have been
found. The ice-cream is safe for anyone
who does not have a peanut or general nut
allergy, but those who do should avoid
eating it.
Vaccination row
A Barcelona court has ruled in favour of a
nursery school which refused to admit a
child whose parents refused to have him
vaccinated. The parents argued that this
was discrimination, similar to intolerance
on religious grounds. However, a judge said
the parents’ decision put other children at
risk and criticised them for believing a
right to a nursery school place overrides
this.
Healthy market
The price of an average home in Spain rose
by 5.8% in the last quarter of 2018,
according to valuers Tinsa. The quarterly
figure is the highest recorded since the
height of the property boom in 2007. In
the year to September 2018, the Costa del
Sol showed one of the highest volume of
property sales in Spain with 3.79 per 100
homes changing hands.
Jolly Satan
A judge in Segovia has ordered work on a
planned sculpture of Satan to be suspended
after residents complained it is “jovial”
rather than “repulsive and despicable.” The
design shows a smiling Satan taking a selfie
with his mobile phone. The bronze statue
was created as a tribute to a local legend
which claims that the devil was tricked into
building the city’s famous aqueduct.
M-way bonus
The government’s buy-back of ailing toll
motorways from franchise holders
continued in January with a number now
free to use overnight, and with day time
fees reduced by 30%. Many toll roads which
opened between 2000 and 2004 suffered
major losses after traffic flow fell by an
average 75% as drivers sought alternative
routes to avoid paying.
Pension increases
General state pensions in Spain rose by the
minimum 1.6% on January 1, while non-
contributory pensions were increased by
3%. The maximum pension payable is now
€2,659.41 per month. The government has
repealed part of the pension reform of
2013 which linked pensions to economic
growth, not the consumer price index.
Outrage as violence
continues
Outrage was expressed across Spain
during January as the first domestic
violence fatalities made headlines.
Events prompted prime minister Pedro
Sánchez to demand, “All of us must
work to end this horror.”
Shortly before Christmas, the partially
clothed body of a 26-year-old teacher,
Laura Luelmo, was found near El
Campillo in Huelva after five days of
searching. She had travelled 500
kilometres to the area only a short time
before to take up her first full-time
teaching job.
Her body showed signs that she had
tried to defend herself and appeared to
have been struck on the head. A post-
mortem examination suggested she
was assaulted and beaten before dying
about eight hours later.
A 50-year-old local man, Bernardo
Montoya, has confessed to the murder
and is presently being held in custody
on charges of murder, illegal detention
and sexual assault. He previously
served time in prison for murdering a
woman in 1995.
Meanwhile on January 17, a 50-year-
old man jumped to his death from a
bridge in Teruel when cornered by
police investigating the murder of a 47-
year-old woman in Zaragoza.
In 2003, Jose Javier Salvador Calvo
shot dead his 29-year-old wife, Patricia
Maurel Conte, and was jailed. When he
was released under licence in 2017, he
began an affair with Rebeca Santamalia
Cáncer, the lawyer who had defended
him at his murder trial.
She was found stabbed to death early
on January 18 at his home after her
husband reported her missing. A few
hours earlier, the suspect had
committed suicide.
Meanwhile, a court in Navarre last
month decided to allow five Sevilla
men, including one Guardia Civil
officer, who were all found guilty of
sexual abuse, to remain free while they
wait for their appeals to be reviewed by
the Supreme Court. In April last year
they were sentenced to nine years in
prison for sexually abusing a young
woman during the Sanfermines festival
in Pamplona. The gang, known as La
Manada (The Wolf Pack), were the
subject of outrage when the court
found them guilty of abuse, but not of
rape.
Taxi wars continue
The conflict between registered taxi
drivers and those relying on Uber,
Cabify and other internet sources for
fares reached a new level during
January with cabbies striking in two
major cities. In both Madrid and
Barcelona, the drivers holding
municipal licences said their action
would be open-ended until their
regional governments reach a
satisfactory agreement with the
alternative operators.
They claim that the new cars on the
block are creating unfair competition
and taking away trade, but the
newcomers are being allowed to
operate under lighter regulations and
lower costs than they are obliged to
observe. Hundreds of drivers marched
from Madrid’s central Puerta del Sol to
the Plaza de Cibeles and blocked
several main roads with
12
demonstrations in support of their
claims. After meeting city officials, taxi
drivers’ leaders said that talks to end
the dispute were unsuccessful and the
protest would continue.
In Barcelona, police arrested seven
people after attacks on Uber and
Cabify vehicles while Catalan TV
showed footage of protesters trashing
cars allegedly used by the app-hailing
services. One group reportedly
smashed a car’s windows while the
driver was still inside, while another
driver suffered an anxiety attack when
his car was attacked.
The Catalan taxi drivers want their
regional governments to force users of
services like Uber to contract rides 12
hours or more beforehand, but the
government is backing a delay of just
15 minutes.