July 18, 1936 was a very hot Saturday… That is how many of those who were In Spain that year remember what in fact became the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, which would last until April 1, 1939. Read the rest of this entry »

The situation in Spain is getting tense with more and more protests in most of the large cities. What began on May 15 in Madrid as a movement of the “indignados”(those who feel indignation) against the country high unemployment and their loathing of the politicians, both the ones in power and those in the opposition, has been growing and not only in the capital but in many other cities. Read the rest of this entry »

While in the United States the high-speed rail does not appear to have a good future, as it has been one of the programs cut from the budget, Europe is going the opposite way. Read the rest of this entry »

While in some countries leaders resist leaving power, in most cases after several decades, in others with democratic governments, they leave without disrupting the lives of the citizens; some after losing elections and some voluntarily when they decide not to seek any more terms in office. Such is the case of Spain, a country which itself was governed by a dictator for almost 40 years after a specially violent civil war. Read the rest of this entry »

Last Sunday the Basque separatist group ETA declared once more a ceasefire after 42 years of a bloody campaign to get a homeland independent of Spain. In a video, which had been sent to the BBC and the pro-independent Basque daily Gara, three persons covered with yellow hoods and Basque berets were sitting at a table flanked by Basque flags and an ETA symbol on the wall behind. Read the rest of this entry »

Spain was mourning today the death of two Spanish officers and their interpreter, a Spanish citizen of Iranian origin, who were slain yesterday in Afghanistan. The killings took place in Badghis province in the northwest of the country , where Spanish forces are training police recruits as part of a NATO effort to turn over responsibility for security to the Afghan army and police. Read the rest of this entry »

There are times when one cannot believe the news. Specially when they come from supposedly democratic countries. Such a thing is what has been going on for a while in Spain with their judiciary system. Read the rest of this entry »