OLIVE PRESS
FAKE BANKSYS
The new Madrid museum that boasts 170 works by the reclusive artist but none of them are real
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COSTA BLANCA
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Vol. 6 Issue 149
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Scandals
The country ‘continues to lack a national anti-corruption strategy’ to counter scandals such as the Koldo case and the Jose Luis Abalos affair. The loss of the anti-fraud agency in the Balearics, and the weakening of the Valencian equivalent were noted, while only four autonomous regions tackle corruption head on. The UK has also seen a decline of 11 points since 2017 scoring just 71 out of 100. Overall Europe has declined for the second year running to 64 out of 100. Only six countries improved their scores, while Denmark remained on top being the least corrupt nation, with a score of 90. Russia holds the worst position in Europe, ranking 154th globally with a score of just 22.
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Jávea · Moraira
February 13th - February 26th 2025
OUR BEACH NOT YOUR TOILET Outrage as illegal campers accused of dumping human waste on Costa Blanca beaches
Defective SPAIN is now classified as a ‘defective democracy’ due to its high levels of corruption. The country now has a worse ranking than Saudi Arabia, Rwanda and Costa Rica, when it comes to transparency. In its worst score for three decades, Spain came 46th out of 180 nations. It now scored just 56 out of 100 in the evaluation by Transparency International, which compiles data from many sources including the World Bank and World Economic Forum. Spain dropped 10 places being slammed for its control of corruption, government efficiency, regulatory quality, and rule of law.
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FOREIGN van-lifers are ‘dumping human waste’ on beaches and in public water fountains, outraged expats claim. Michael Cultrona, a 64-year-old German expat says the seasonal motorhome visitors to Xeraco, on the Costa Blanca, pose a ‘public health risk’. “They clean their chemical toilets in the water fountains in the park where kids drink,” he told the Olive Press. “It’s very concerning as they are also throwing human waste into our bushes, onto beaches and into rivers.” The long-time expat alleges locals have made numerous complaints to the council and police, to no avail. “They want the ‘tourist money’, but as far as I can tell the only money they spend is in the local Spar shop,” he said. “In fact, they steal from local orange farms and even our gardens.” SCOWL: Campers block the whole pavement and pay no fees
EXCLUSIVE By Yzabelle Bostyn
Cultrona also claims the van lifers - also known as caravaners, snowbirds and blowins - are to blame for the death of ‘several’ local cats. “Their dogs have killed several cats and anyone who dares to challenge them is threatened verbally or physically. “I was actually threatened with a knife after I shooed a dog out of my garden to protect my cats,” he said. According to the German, the campers are parked illegally and often block the pavements despite their being a campsite ‘just metres’ away. Even those who run the legal campsites around the nearby Gandia area are dealing with multiple issues, the Olive Press understands. Cultrona claims that a couple he knows who live in the caravan park behind his house were attacked with human excrement. “They paid €10,000 to have a plot for 10 years, but soon after their caravan was smeared in human waste and their tyres punctured. “I think it was an attempt by the owner to keep their money while making them leave,” he said. It comes after numerous Alicante residents have hit out against campers on the prime
coastal spot of Saladar Beach, between the city and Santa Pola. Despite signs prohibiting caravans from parking in the area, they reportedly occupy large swathes of land, illegally dumping their waste into a nearby nature reserve. “They come with their dogs and leave the place full of excrement” one local resident said. Many of the tourists pretend not to understand complaints even when addressed in English or German.
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banning overnight stays except in c a m p sites, with fines of up to €1,500 a night for staying elsewhere. His comments brought a strong reaction from one motorhome group which insisted what they do is a legitimate form of sustainable tourism. “They are criminalising us for no reason and the only thing we want are adequate spaces to park and coexist in harmony with the city,” it said. The Olive Press revealed five years ago that Madeleine McCann kidnap suspect Christian Brueckner, spent most of the year living in a variety of motorhomes around Portugal and Spain. In particular, we tracked the rapist and paedophile to various camping spots north of Valencia, around Castellon, and he spent many months living near Orgiva, in the Alpujarras region of Granada.
The issue extends beyond Saladar, with numerous frustrated residents near Cala de los Borrachos and Carabassi Beach, near Santa Pola also complaining. Despite this, local councils have yet to take action against the tourists, and though police sometimes clear out the areas, the campers soon return. Similar problems have been reported around Spain. In Mallorca, Palma mayor Jaime MarOpinion Page 6 tinez recently insisted ‘caravans cannot become a housing areacostablanca.com solution 966 112 428 or an uncontrolled tourism model’. It came as he inYOUR REAL ESTATE AGENCY FOR CALPE, troduced BENISSA, MORAIRA AND REGION a new law
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IN HIS SIGHTS: Former sniper Cultrona is taking aim at campers
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