Cabo Archives - usatoday24

Cabo de Gata explodes against an electrical network from the 80s that cannot withstand the wind

February 9, 2026 by usatoday24

In a place known for its calm, the sound of metal hitting metal became a cry for help this Sunday. Carmen F. Peña, president of the Neighborhood Association of San José and El Pozo de los Frailes, describes the reality of the area: “The blackouts are silent, everything stops and is silent.” However, to break this paralysis, the neighbors decided it was time to make noise. In the words of Peña collected in a local opinion columnthe protest was “the metaphor of a scream”, a sound action to combat the darkness that paralyzes their lives. The scene experienced this weekend reminded, according to the graphic description of the local pressto a “herd of fifty heads of cattle” crossing the population centers; an “infernal melody of protest” composed of pans, pots and saucepans that thundered in unison to send a clear message: satiety is absolute. Although the atmosphere was vindictive and to a certain extent festive, as the chronicles tellthe background was marked by a “deep malaise.” Living disconnected in the 21st century. The problem transcends the inconvenience of not being able to turn on a light bulb; It is a matter of economic survival and security. Juan, spokesperson for the El Playazo de Rodalquilar Neighborhood Association, explained to the press the anguish of isolation: “The last outage was on Thursday and we were without electricity for 24 hours. There is no electricity supply, there is no telephone, we are totally cut off.” This neighbor tells how he tried to call 112 and 062 without success due to lack of signal, forcing them to travel by car to obtain information. The economic impact is direct and devastating. According to the Almeria pressRestaurant 340 had to throw away all its fish after a whole day without power, just after opening for the season. Dataphones stop working and appliances “burn out” due to the constant surges and drops in voltage. The feeling of abandonment is such that the Neighborhood Coordinator describes the situation as “third world” and typical of “the Middle Ages, with candles and oil lamps.” They warn of the real risk to healthIf a dependent person suffers an emergency during a blackout, the lack of telephone coverage prevents them from calling for help. The excuse of the weather versus the reality of the cables. While it is true that the recent storm “Kristin” hit the province With winds of up to 150 kilometers per hour, aggravating the situation and causing poles to fall, residents and the City Council insist that the weather is only the excuse, not the root cause. According to those affectedthere is no need for a big storm; cuts occur with simple wind or rain. This is a structural problem: the electrical infrastructure in the area is “30 or 40 years” old. In addition to the major blackouts, the towns have been enduring “dozens of daily microcuts” for more than a month and the lack of a private television signal for almost two months. The mayor of Níjar, José Francisco Garrido, has pointed out that the problems in centers like Agua Amarga are a “constant in both winter and summer”, which suggests that the network is unable to support seasonal demand. The “great national traffic jam.” What is happening in Níjar is the local symptom of a national disease. Spain faces to a “great electrical traffic jam”: the country has accelerated the installation of wind and solar parks, but the system has hit an invisible wall, the lack of cables to transport that energy. The Spanish electricity grid has administratively “collapsed” and, for practical purposes, is closed to new projects in many areas. This bottleneck explains why solutions take so long. There is a chronic lack of investment in the basic infrastructure: while Europe invests on average 70 cents in networks for every euro of renewable generation, Spain remains at just 30 cents. This has unleashed an open war where the large electricity companies accuse Red Eléctrica of having invested below what was planned, causing the current precariousness. The situation is so critical that the National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) has had to delay three months the publication of capacity maps due to the panic that 90% of the network nodes will appear with zero capacity. That is to say, although improvements are demanded in Níjar, the national system is experiencing a bureaucratic and physical “thrombosis” that makes any rapid progress difficult. Patience has run out. The Neighborhood Coordinator has started a collection of signatures on the Change.org platform demanding an immediate action plan and supply guarantees. They warn that, if there is no progress, they do not rule out “intensifying the protests with the call for a unitary demonstration.” At the institutional level, the Níjar City Council has sent a formal letter to the distribution company, E-Distribución Redes Digitales SLU (a subsidiary of Endesa), demanding explanations. Sources from the electricity company have indicated to news agencies that a meeting is scheduled this week to detail the reform programs, ensuring that “many of which have begun to be processed.” However, skepticism reigns among the neighbors, given that it has already remained a similar meeting in July 2025 without tangible results. A problem that goes beyond Níjar. The situation in Cabo de Gata is not an isolated case, but appears to be part of a broader pattern of energy poverty and lack of investment in infrastructure in southern Spain. According to journalistic investigationsneighborhoods of Seville and Granada, as well as areas of Almería capital such as La Chanca or Pescadería, suffer daily power outages, especially in summer. In these cases, as in Níjar, residents denounce that “Endesa does not have any maintenance” and that the facilities are obsolete, leaving thousands of people unprotected in the face of extreme temperatures. The difference in Cabo de Gata is that the blow directly affects the waterline of a key tourism industry. As the mayor of Níjar emphasizes“we cannot normalize continuous cuts in a municipality that has a strong dependence on … Read more

Cabo de Gata promised them happy with the tourist pull of its beaches. Until the dunes became parkings

August 19, 2025 by usatoday24

He Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park It is an environmental jewel of the Mediterranean, but also an important claim for visitors who only in Julio saw how they accessed their regulated beaches and coves More than 15,000 vehicles. Combining these two facets is not always simple, as can be seen from The last complaint From Pacma, which warns that an important dunes zone has ended up “destroyed” and turned, at least in a simple parking. “It’s bleak,” he regrets animalist formation. What happened? Than the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park He is being a victim of his own popularity among visitors. This was denounced a few days ago the Pacma coordinator in Almería, Eduardo Milla, who has warned of the “serious destruction” of the dunar systems of the Para del Charcoa protected sand located between the beach of Cabo de Gata and that of the herb. To be more precise, Pacma complaint That the fence that protected the area is broken or dropped at several points due to the “lack of maintenance”, which allows the passage of people and even cars. “As a consequence, several Dunar cords have disappeared, transforming some of these areas into improvised parking lots.” Is it so serious? Animalist formation warns of the risks to the sand and that the achievements of the last and a half decade are cast. “What was protected for years has been suddenly unprotected,” Add mile. “Some dunes have become esplanadas to park. It is bleak how areas that took more than 15 years to recover have disappeared in a summer.” The Pacma coordinator in Almería goes even further and recalls that the Dunar Systems of the Arenal are “of the most important” of the Natural Park next to those of the amoladas beach, so it claims to the authorities that intervene “urgently” to “revert to the maximum” the damages. Is it the only complaint? Pacma’s warning is especially overwhelming for its content and has achieved A considerable echoespecially between The regional pressbut animalist formation is not the only one that has ruled on tourism in the protected area of Cabo de Gata-Níjar. In early August the Andalusia Board itself launched A statement To emphasize the importance of visitors acting “with responsibility” and “respect” in the park. “The conservation of this privileged environment is a collective task. The individual behavior of each visitor has a decisive weight. We make this call for consciousness and responsibility to ensure that the enjoyment of the park does not be detrimental to its future,” claims The organism director, Salvador Parra. And what do they propose? Among other issues, the Board remembers that it is forbidden to collect specimens of flora and fauna during visits (“They suppose a serious alteration of the ecosystem,” he emphasizes), throwing garbage or getting out of the marked paths. The Ministry too remember That certain activities, such as diving, kayak or fishing, must respect certain guidelines. On the mainland, free camping is not allowed or that motorhomas are at night outside the marked areas. What is the problem? The key slide the newspaper recently ABC in An analysis in which he points out the complicated balance to which Cabo de Gata is cornered: it is an environmental jewel, “one of the protected spaces of greater ecological relevance of the Western Mediterranean”, in the words of the Junta de Andalucía; But also an important tourist claim. Throughout last year the main facilities of public use of the park counted 38,400 people. According to The data That Europa Press handles, last month on the beaches and coves located west of the nucleus of San José, from Genoese to Cala Carbon, the entrance of more than 15,000 private vehicles was counted. That figure reveals a slight rebound (+3.4%) with respect to 2024, although it remains below the 2014 peaks. The daily average was thus in July in about 485 vehicles. Have more measures been taken? Yes. At the beginning of summer the Ministry of Sustainability and Environment He began to control The accesses to several beaches of Cabo Gata-Níjar precisely for the influx of car, a measure that will remain active until September 28. Canal Sur requires that those who want to access the beaches of Mónsul, Genoese or Cala Coal, among others, and park in one of their 399 places They must be done before with a six -euro ticket per vehicle. In The order In which he reports access restrictions, the Andalusian Board recalls that other years has been proven as “the agglomeration of people and vehicles” that are concentrated in the area during the summer deteriorate the coastal ecosystem. That without counting on the “serious problems of collapses in the access roads” that, the government warns, prevent both the minimum safety conditions “in case of emergency and the provision of basic services. Images | Stablemechanism (Flickr), Pacma and Wikipedia In Xataka | The north of Spain has been complaining about mass tourism for years. Asturias has discovered the bitter consequences of losing it

Tourist accused of burning businesses in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, will remain detained in Missouri at least until next week

January 18, 2025 by usatoday24

New York – Danielle Bertothy, the Missouri tourist accused of starting a fire that consumed several businesses in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Ricoright after New Year, She will remain detained in the aforementioned state at least until Wednesday of next week.. The El Nuevo Día report this Friday indicates that the Prosecutors in the case requested, through a motion, that the woman not be allowed to leave on bailafter leaving the island a few hours after the events. The 36-year-old defendant appeared yesterday at an initial hearing in the Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. headed by Judge Noelle C. Collins. The First Alert 4 report details thatThe woman arrived in the judge’s room handcuffed and wearing a sweatshirt with the phrase “Grateful Dead”the same one she had when she was arrested the day before. Bertothy responded sparingly to the judge’s questions without showing much emotion. Bertothy was arrested at her home in St. Peters by ATF agents. Bertothy, who is represented by attorney Justin Gelfand, waived the identity hearing. Gelfand asked that the hearing to determine whether or not he will be granted bail also be held in Missouri. The Prosecutor’s Office accepted the request, so it will be held on January 22. Cocaine and a firearm are seized in Bertothy’s home The motion presented by the federal prosecutor’s office in Puerto Rico indicates that Officers who raided Bertothy’s residence confiscated cocaine and a firearm.. The motion also specifies that Although the suspect has not confessed to the facts, she told agents that she had done some things that were not typical of her.. To support her request for preventive detention, prosecutor Corinne Cordero Romo stated in the judicial text that Bertothy represents a flight risk and a danger to the community. He argued that the woman left Puerto Rico shortly after the fire after leaving the Airbnb where she was supposed to stay until December 11. “Preventive detention is appropriate here because the defendant poured gasoline and set fire to a bar, store, restaurant and hotel with approximately 20 guests the day after New Year’s, endangering the lives of numerous people before fleeing the District of Puerto Rico”, stated the federal authorities. According to the document signed by Cordero Romo, “numerous factors favor the arrest, including the nature and circumstances of the accused crime, the weight of the evidence (which includes videos of the accused with a gas container in the bar shortly before the fire and walking towards the fire where he remains until the fire is lit) and the danger to the community.” The information that investigators have indicates that on January 2, at around 9:37 am, The accused asked a friend on the island to help her find someone to pick her up in the El Combate beach area. and transfer her to the airport that same day. A driver picked her up at approximately 11:28 am. According to the authorities, Security cameras at a fast food restaurant in the aforementioned municipality captured Bertothy wearing the same shoes as the person seen starting the fire. in other surveillance material. The incident at Bar Marea began around 8:30 pm on January 1when Bertothy arrived, already drunk, at the place. The woman ordered several drinks. But When he started behaving aggressively, the owners asked him to leave, which he refused.. After being called the first time, municipal police officers escorted the woman to the Airbnb where she was staying. However, she returned to the business 20 minutes later. “This time, the accused acted more aggressively, so the police were called again.. Finally, she left alone,” Cordero Romo revealed. At around 12:25 am, when they had already closed the business, Cameras captured a woman, who would be the accused, carrying a red container used to store gasoline in a behavior that is consistent with pouring the liquid. Immediately, the fire started with the person present. The suspect is then seen walking through the Marinera restaurant on her way back to her Airbnb. Researchers also have proof that the owner of the Airbnb had provided him with a generator with gasoline and a tourist tank in response to the general blackout reported on the island on December 31. “The host identified the red gasoline container in the video as having the same characteristics as the one she gave to the defendant, and identified the person seen in the recording as the defendant,” the motion details. The owners and employees of businesses in the area were the ones who initially identified Bertothy as the cause of the fire based on the recorded images of the altercation in Bar Marea and the subsequent material from surveillance cameras. The affected establishments were: Luichy’s Seaside Hotel, Marinera Restaurant, Bar Marea and Artesanías Juavia. These are located in the PR-3301 highway. Ángel Luis Marrero Negrón, owner of the inn, rents the other three establishments. According to preliminary calculations that he provided to the media, Losses were estimated at $500,000.. Agents from the ATF (Agency for Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) raided the tourist’s home on January 7. At that time, she was not arrested. The foreigner left Puerto Rico on a Southwest Airlines flight which he took from the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport. He arrived in St. Louis on January 3. That day, the agents had gone to the woman’s home to interview her. Bertothy’s arrest was reported after the Puerto Rico Federal Prosecutor’s Office accused her of arson. He faces between 5 and 20 years in prison if convicted.. This case echoed among Puerto Ricans in the diaspora who, outraged, began to share the images of the events that circulated on social networks. The Puerto Rican councilor of St. Louis, Daniela Velázquez, sent a letter to the employers of the woman at HLK Agency to take disciplinary action against her in view of the seriousness of the allegations. Although the woman was suspended from her job, there are no reports so far that she has been fired from her position at … Read more

Tourist accused of setting businesses on fire in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, appears in court today in Missouri; faces up to 20 years in prison

January 17, 2025 by usatoday24

New York – This Friday, Danielle Bertothy, the Missouri tourist suspected of starting a fire that left several in rubble business in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, shortly after New Year’smust appear at a hearing in a court of the aforementioned state to respond to the accusations that federal authorities presented against him. The arrest of Berthothy, 36, was reported yesterday in St. Peters, the city where he resides. A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico accused the tourist of arson. As reported by the Federal Prosecutor’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, On or about January 2 last, Bertothy maliciously damaged and destroyed, by means of fire, a building and other property furniture and real estate used in interstate and foreign commerce and in activities that affect interstate and foreign commerce. In this Thursday’s press releasefederal authorities add that the accused will be held responsible for her dangerous actions. “This defendant will be held responsible for her dangerous actions that caused significant harm and put many lives at risk“, declared W. Stephen Muldrow, head of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, together with federal, state and local partners, will continue to vigorously enforce federal laws to bring to justice criminals who engage in violent crimes,” Muldrow added. For Christopher A. Robinson, special agent in charge of the Miami Field Division of the ATF (Agency for Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives), the prosecution demonstrates the commitment of that office in the fight against violence and destructive criminal behavior, whether in the United States or the territories. Bertothy is accused of using fire to destroy buildings affecting interstate commerce. The woman is scheduled for a hearing this Friday before a judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. If convicted, the defendant faces a minimum sentence of 5 years in prison. and a maximum of 20 years. The federal authorities thanked the collaboration of prosecutors from the Department of Justice in Mayagüez and the Explosives and Public Security Division of the Puerto Rico Police. Ismael Cartagena, in charge of the Office of Explosives and Public Security, indicated through Facebook this Thursday that, to be effective, “investigations are not carried out in a hurry.” “The responsibility of the law and order agencies is to collect all possible evidence, corroborate information and present it to the public ministry to file charges and achieve a conviction. With this, we make true justice shine,” he said as a reflection on the course of events and the management of the authorities. El Diario is carrying out procedures to interview Cartagena as a follow-up to the coverage of the case. The accusations against the woman occurred about two weeks after the fire that occurred on highway 3301 in the El Combate sector. which affected four businesses: Luichy’s Seaside Hotel, Marinera Restaurant, Bar Marea and Artesanías Juavia. Merchants and residents of the area provided local and federal authorities with audiovisual material that allegedly implicates the woman in the crime. One of the videos shows a female, who would be the American, carrying a gallon of gasoline in the area. In another, the tourist is seen arguing with Bar Marea staff in the presence of agents. In an interview with the podcast specialized in issues about Puerto Rico, Válgame PR, this week, Ángel Luis Marrero Negrón, owner of Luichy’s Seaside Hotel, revealed that there are other videoslike one from cameras from a nearby business, which link the woman directly to the events. “That girl is walking with a container, I don’t know, because it was dark, she sprinkles something that is supposedly gasoline and takes a match, and, ‘wow.’ There you can see when the fire starts and she stares, making sure, and walks along the side of the businesses; But, I want to clarify that the coldly calculating woman waited for all the businesses to be closed,” described the interviewee. Audiovisual content began to be shared massively on social networks until reaching members of the Puerto Rican diaspora in the states, who expressed themselves with indignation. St. Louis Councilwoman of Puerto Rican origin, Daniela Velázquez, sent a letter to Bertothy’s employers to take disciplinary action against the woman in light of the seriousness of the allegations. “Your audacity to commit such a brazen act of violence during our beloved holiday season too has impacted Puerto Ricans like me in the diaspora“, Velázquez said to the senior advertising management of HLK Agency. “As a St. Louis-based company with a reputation for commitment to diversity and community impact, I am confident that they will review the situation with the seriousness it requires. “Your response will send a powerful message about living in accordance with global values and communities,” he added. Shortly after, managers notified her that the employee had been suspended from her work at the company. It is not clear whether, as a result of the accusations, other actions such as dismissal would be taken. HLK argued in the statement dated January 4 that they had not yet been contacted by the authorities in Puerto Rico, but that they would be collaborating with any investigation. “We are outraged by this insensitive act and we hope that the authorities can address the matter in a timely manner,” they declared. The case has also encouraged the debate about the humiliating treatment of some tourists towards locals on the island versus the concessions of the authorities to those who visit the territory. The merchants have questioned that, despite the fact that the municipal police were alerted on at least two occasions about the bellicose and aggressive attitude of the woman, who also had verbally and physically attacked staff and customers of Bar Marea before the incident was reported. fire, they did not take her to the barracks or take her information. Supposedly, Berthothy was upset because they didn’t want to serve her any more alcoholic drinks. One of the agents who arrived at the … Read more

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