THE PIRATE WHO WOULD BE MAYOR

The Córdoba businessman, Rafael Gómez, is bidding to be the next mayor of the city at the 2011 municipal elections in May. Córdoba, as many readers will know, was once the capital of the Caliphate of Córdoba and al-Andalus from where the Muslim rulers reigned over much of Spain. It was home to the Great Mosque (now the cathedral) and housed the largest library in the world with some experts saying it contained one million volumes.


A distinguished historic past – but what of Rafael Gómez, the man who would rule this ancient provincial capital? Well amongst his companies was Arenal 2000, which collapsed leaving many property developments in financial chaos and with it the lives of those who hard purchased homes or were in the process of doing so. He also owned the Tivoli World entertainment park and the Xanit hospital in Benalmádena on the Costa del Sol before being forced to sell them.

Rafael Gómez is more widely known by his nickname, Sandokán. Perhaps appropriately Sandokán was a pirate, Emilio Salgari to be exact, who operated out of Malaysia. Gómez took on the name because of his resemblance to the actor Kabir Bedi who played the part in the popular TV series in the 1970s.

So whilst Gómez’s business empire is a disaster zone that seemingly does not bar him from being the number one citizen in his home city. However one major hurdle he will have to overcome before he becomes mayor - it is not with the voters but the courts. He is one of those implicated in the Malaya corruption case – the largest in Spanish history - currently being tried in Málaga and involves his dealings with Marbella town hall and its then head of town planning Juan Antonio Roca.

It is unlikely that the Malaya trial will be concluded before next May. If Gómez was found guilty the prosecutor is demanding an 18 months jail term plus a 1.2 million euros fine. However as the prison sentence is under 24 months he would not serve it but could he still be mayor?

If he does get to stand then Sandokán will be the candidate for mayor of the Union Córdobesa which aims to win a majority on the city council. Gómez says he has been waiting for this opportunity for 20 years and if elected promises that tackling unemployment and affordable housing will be his two main priorities.

However the three parties on Córdoba council – far left Izquierda Unida, centre right Partido Popular and socialist PSOE – have been scathing over Sandokán announcement. Current mayor, Andrés Ocaña, of the IU says economic crises throw up candidates who through some magic formula say they have a solution to everybody’s problems. He also spoke of the Costa del Sol which had independent candidates such as Gómez who had not found solutions but had only increased the municipality’s problems.

Ocaña went on to liken Gómez with the now deceased mayor of Marbella, Jesús Gil, who brought the one time jet set resort to its knees. Of course it was under Gil’s mandate that the Malaya town planning corruption scam took place for which Sandokán is in the dock.

So will Sandokán become mayor? Only in Spain you might mutter!

CÓRDOBA’S 12,000 UNIDENTIFIED CIVIL WAR DEAD

Let me take you to Aguilar de la Frontera, a small village in the province of Córdoba. On Saturday a very special ceremony took place when Antonio Palma Moreno was finally laid to rest in the local cemetery. It is of importance because he was the first victim of reprisals in the Spanish Civil War in Andalucía to be identified by his DNA to be interred.

The ceremony was organised by the Asociación para la Recuperación de la Memoria Histórica and attended by his two grand daughters. His remains were laid beside those of his widow Carmen Reina.

Members of the association were at the cemetery to witness the funeral as were some 50 people from the village. His bones were carried by Manuela Molina in a wooden box covered with the Republican flag. Manuela is now in her 80s and witnessed the shooting of Antonio and others by the cemetery walls.

One of his grand daughters, Antonia, spoke of her deep emotion on this “very special day” adding that her grandmother would have been very proud to know that so many years on people were speaking so warmly of her husband.

Manuel Palma was born in Aguilar de la Frontera on August 23, 1908 and was from a family of farm workers. He was shot on July 24 1936 and his remains indicated a wound in his back. Worked started on his exhumation on May 3 and four other bodies were found – two women, a young boy and another man. As there was no means of identifying them the family agreed to have DNA tests carried out.

Rafael Espino, president of Aremehisa – the local association dedicated to recovering the history of those times – stated that Antonio Palma was the first of those shot in reprisal Andalucía during the Civil War to be identified by his DNA. He may be the first but he is unlikely to be the last as Rafael Espino estimates there are 12,000 people in common Civil War graves who have not been identified in Córdoba province alone.

Seventy years on and still 12,000 people in common Civil War graves in Córdoba province are unidentified – I find that dreadful statistic shocking. If true, and I have no reason to doubt it, how many in wider Andalucía and Spain nationally?

This is why the small, emotional interment in Aguilar de la Frontera is important because the use of DNA means that many of those unidentified remains can now matched to their present day families.

It is a development that reaches far beyond the borders of Spain, for instance it could impact on the families of Britons killed in the war. Also because of the traditional closeness of Spanish families the location of their dead is often known even if they remain unidentified. Now they could be called upon to take part in the process of finally laying the unidentified victims of the Spanish Civil War slaughter to dignified rest in named graves.

ROSA AGUILAR: THE MAYOR OF BROKEN PROMISES

If you live like I do in Andalucía then your new minister of public works and transport is Rosa Aguilar.

She is said to be a charismatic person – may be that is the reason why the new president of the Andalucía government, José Antonio Griñán, wanted her onboard.

However in taking up her post she has abandoned the people of Córdoba who she served as mayor. She was born in that city in 1957, she has been both an Andalucía and Spanish MP for that province and since 1999 has been the mayor of Córdoba. She was the first woman to win the post and led the far left Izquierda Unida to victory over the centre right Partido Popular.

The reason that Aguilar is now under fire is two fold. First she promised the people of Córdoba that she would serve them at least till her current mandate ended. Instead she has left them in the lurch at a time of economic crisis.

Secondly – whilst she was mayor under the banner of Izquierda Unida – she now has abandoned that party and joined the socialist government of Griñán as an independent.

She says her switch to the Andalucía government was “a personal decision”. Indeed it was. It was fired by personal ambition and to hell with the people who had voted her in to steer their city through these troubled times or the chaos she has left behind her in what was her party.

The former leader of the IU, Julio Anguita, hit the nail on the head. He said that Rosa Aguilar has shown a lack of loyalty to the ‘cordobeses’ by promising to stay for four years and quitting after two.

He might have added that she did it to fuel her own ambition – he didn’t – so I will say it for him.

LET’S TALK TO BOSSANO

The Spanish senator and former mayor of Jimena, José Carracao, believes Spanish Government officials should not only be talking to Gibraltar’s Chief Minister, Peter Caruana, but also the leader of the Opposition, Joe Bossano.

He is quoted as saying: “Bossano is a real alternative to the present Government. He has 49 per cent of the vote and lost the election only by a few hundred votes.”

Whilst that is true, the veteran GSLP leader and former chief minister, Joe Bossano had made it clear that he would not lead the party in to the next election. Hence Carracao would also need to talk to the GSLP/Liberal coalition’s bright young stars such as Fabian Picardo and Dr Joseph Garcia.

What is not clear is whether this statement was merely a tactic to goad the chief minister but he says that Peter Caruana has acquired an air of excessive political self-importance - “If it were for him, he would only meet the Minister.” Curious because I know a leading television correspondent was trying to arrange an interview with the Rock’s top honcho without much success.

Carracao restated his support for the Cordoba agreement and believes it has had a positive effect on public opinion on both sides of the frontier. However he is concerned that contacts have been reduced to official exchanges. “Whenever a meeting of the Tripartite Forum is called, the general directors of Britain and Spain and Caruana meet. But that’s it. There are no meetings with institutions such as the Mancomunidad, or with the Campo mayors.”

Perhaps the wily old Carracao is just demonstrating his political nous because there is nothing more likely to stir Caruana from his lofty eyrie than the thought that his political bête noir, Joe Bossano, could be projected on to the centre stage, any stage, and especially one involving relations with Spain.