Among the flaws the US State Department finds is that Spanish lawmakers have taken their time to incorporate new provisions in an anti-money laundering law that went into effect last year. Washington suggests that the government should focus more on confiscating properties and assets in criminal cases through civil forfeitures after defendants are convicted, and maintain and disseminate statistics on the number of drug and money laundering prosecutions. Despite the downturn in real estate, drug proceeds are still being used to purchase properties across the country. US authorities say that many air passengers smuggle bulks of cash to Latin America and, with the money they make in Spain … [Read more...] about The sun still shines in Europe’s money-laundering hub
Governing for unruly Spaniards
The other night I was listening to a journalist speak during a television panel debate about the government’s proposal that goes into effect on Monday to reduce the speed limit on highways from 120 kph to 110 kph. She complained that she had grown tired with Prime Minister Zapatero’s paternalistic government telling her what she can or cannot do. It reminded me of former Prime Minister José María Aznar’s similar gripe a few years back when the Health Ministry decided to order a popular US fast food chain to pull a calorie-filled, multi-layer burger for nutritional reasons. Aznar said that if he wanted to eat a burger high in fat and carbohydrates he should be able to do so without anyone … [Read more...] about Governing for unruly Spaniards
Was Hollywood’s first “talkie” in Spanish?
Twenty years ago this month, Spain’s “first cinematographic actress” died in Madrid. Concha Piquer was 84, and her funeral brought Gran Vía to a standstill as thousands of admirers and curious madrileños converged on Madrid’s famous boulevard to pay their respects while her body was carried to its final resting place. Now, this copla singer, much loved in her native country and in parts of Latin America but little known outside the Spanish-speaking world, may be heading for her biggest role yet in Hollywood culture. María de la Concepción Piquer López was born in 1906 (although some sources list 1908) in Valencia. She was discovered by the Spanish composer Manuel Penella Moreno, who was … [Read more...] about Was Hollywood’s first “talkie” in Spanish?
Basque deal with Houston derailed by improper practice
When representatives of US railway companies visited Spain last year to examine the country’s AVE high-speed train system with a view to taking back with them some hints for their own networks, it was a boon to Spanish rail infrastructure. Spanish firms also saw a chance to showcase their cutting-edge technology in the rail and wind turbine industries in the United States when President Obama announced last year that billions of dollars would be available through the job-stimulus Recovery and Reinvestment Act. But when US transportation officials revealed in early September that one of the Spanish firms to benefit from the US government plan had committed serious violations in cahoots … [Read more...] about Basque deal with Houston derailed by improper practice
The victim-turned-activist: a new kind of hero
When the father of a missing girl in Huelva captured the media spotlight in late 2007 as he led the search for his missing daughter, he capitalised on the nation’s attention to launch a national public awareness campaign about the flaws in the Spanish justice system. Five-year-old Mari Luz Cortés disappeared after she ran off to buy a bag of crisps at a neighbourhood kiosk. Following a massive two-month nationwide search her body was found in January 2008 in a river in Huelva province’s Torrearenilla marshland. A convicted paedophile, Santiago del Valle, who had been granted an early release from prison, was arrested after he confessed to the murder. Thus began Juan José Cortés’ crusade … [Read more...] about The victim-turned-activist: a new kind of hero
FARC, ETA and Al Qaeda: the terror connection
When the US Drug Enforcement Administration announced in December that it had arrested three suspected Al Qaeda operatives in Ghana and brought them to the United States to face drug-trafficking charges, investigators unveiled some astonishing allegations. The defendants had offered to help rebels of South America’s oldest active guerrilla front, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), traffic cocaine into Spain using North African routes. While there had been speculation regarding such a connection in the past, this was the first time US law enforcement authorities had linked the dots between Islamic extremists and the FARC in a criminal indictment. Then in early March, … [Read more...] about FARC, ETA and Al Qaeda: the terror connection