Welcome to the tuSPAIN weekly review of the Spanish media. Cristina Marquez Arroyo de Camihort has selected a wide range of articles covering general news about Spain, politics, business and culture. We also invite you to view the latest news from Spain (in Spanish) at the web sites of El Pais, El Mundo, ABC and El Periodico
NEWS REVIEW
21 - 29 April, 1997
AZNAR IN THE US
Jose Maria Aznar, the President of the Government, arrived in New York, where he will promote investments in Spain based on the excellent economical momentum in Spain. He will meet with the Executives of some of the main US financial corporations and holdings, and will make several presentations geared to highlight the profitability of investment in Spain. Aznar, who will visit Wall Street during his first meeting in the Big Apple together with Rodrigo Rato, the Spanish Financial Vice-President, may achieve his objectives due to the stability of the Spanish economy, a fact that the government has promoted widely throughout the States prior to his trip.
EURO CURRENCY AND NATO
The visit of Jose Maria Aznar, President of the Government, to the US, has stirred up the topic of achieving Spainīs qualification for the euro currency and joining the military command structure of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. For the former, Spain has already set up measures to meet strict standards for budget deficits, debt, inflation and interest rates. However, 1997 final economic results is the factor that will determine who will qualify for the "Euro"currency. The latter issue will be discussed during Aznarsī meeting with President Clinton, as the Spanish President will demand a more important role in NATO's protection of the Spanish side of the Mediterranean and the sea routes to the Canary Islands. The two presidents will meet next week in Washington.
GIBRALTAR WILL BE ANOTHER HONG KONG
Increasing hostilities across the border between the British colony and their Spanish neighbour has caused border crossings restriictions again, while the air and sea transportation between them remains illegal. After the final transfer of Hong Kong to China, both governments believe that Gibraltar will be next on the agenda, meaning that negotiations over their own future will follow.
Jose Maria Aznar stated that for him it's "difficult to understand how it could happen in Hong Kong and not in Gibraltar". He also added that Spain will maintain its claim of sovereignty over Gibraltar because they have reasons for it and expect that time and common sense will help to achieve a solution. To the people of Gibraltar, the idea is dreadful. Their official language is English, although 95% of the population speak fluent Spanish, but that's not the case with the official culture, which remains purely British. Meanwhile, Spain refuses to recognise Gibraltar's international telephone code and will only allow Gibraltar to participate in negotiations on their future as a member of the British delegation. On the other hand, if Britain agrees on talks regarding the Rock, they may have to hold similar talks with Argentina, regarding the long time pending issue of Malvinas in the South Atlantic.
JAIL TERM TO FIGHT POLLUTION
The Spanish government is tightening environmental laws. To this purpose, they created the Environmental Ministry as a means to protect the environment and create public awareness on the subject. They have also enacted a recently passed bill, by sending Mr. Jose Pugnero, a factory owner, to prison for committing crimes against the environment. He was sentenced to four years and fined close to 50,000 dollars, plus damages for the environmental harm his textile plants have caused to the region, which is estimated to be around 170,000 dollars. Most surprised, after he was jailed last week was the small local environmental group that initiated the proceedings against the textile plant.
CONDE CANNOT PAY BAIL
Mario Conde, the former president of BANESTO who has been found guilty of fraud and has appealed his sentence, sent a letter to the Court this week stating that he could not raise the 2.000.000 pesetas set as bail. Therefore, if he wishes to await the supreme court decision on his future, outside prison, he will have to sell all his assets as the banks have refused his loan requests.
FELIPE GONZALEZ WILL BE WITNESS
Felipe Gonzalez and two other members of the former Socialist Administration will be summoned as witnesses in the case of the GAL Group. He has repeatedly denied any participation or knowledge about the existence or role of the terrorist group, which acted as an effective arm of the Government to eliminate several members of ETA hiding in France. Meanwhile, Baltasar Garzon, the judge who was removed from the case by the Socialist-appointed Attorney General has supplied dozens of boxes of evidence to the new Judge Moner who is now in charge of the case.
INTERNATIONAL GAFFE
The visit of their Majesties King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia to Mexico has been classified by Jorge de Esteban, Professor of Constitutional Rights, as "fallacious or at least incorrect" after Fernando de Villalonga, Secretary of State for International Affairs replaced Abel Matutes, the Foreign Minister who had a heart attack the day before the royal departure. According to Esteban, the royal visit is constitutionally unsound because all royal visits to foreign countries must include a member of the Government, with priority given to Cabinet members.
CATALAN AND SPANISH
Reform of the Catalonian Billīs attempt to restrict even more the use of Spanish in the Catalonian region, has kindled the issue among immigrants in the area. The first conflicts, both social and politics have arisen at the April Fair in Santa Coloma de Gramanet. Joan Maria Pujals, the author of the project, was denied access to the event, and some nationalist groups are trying to stop the announced campaign to collect signatures against the new regulations.
MONTE CARLO OPEN
Marcelo Rios, a 21-year old Chilean, who is seeded seventh, crushed Alex Corretja 6-4 6-3 6-3 in the most impressive victory of his career. He ended the Spanish dominance on clay this season. He was extremely pleased with the result, even when he admitted that he "had a great time even after losing some money at the Casino". He had also defeated Alberto Costa, who was the winner of the second European clay tournament in Barcelona.
1996.
TELEFONICA WORLDWIDE
Telefonica de Espana has raised its stake in their subsidiary Telefonica de Argentina S.A. after buying an 8.3 percent stake in Cointel, a holding that controls
representing 0.3 percent of Cointel's capital, according to a Telefonica representative.
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