towns

that of the towns converted into hubs of organized crime

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TO beginning of 2025the province of Toledo began to appear with unusual frequency in police reports. From then until a few hours ago, the escalation of violence and crime that has been splashed across the country’s newspapers has made one thing crystal clear: the dangerous conversion of many towns in Spain such as hub of criminal gangs. From local clans to industrial cultivation. In March, the National Police dismantled a network of indoor marijuana crops spread across several municipalities (Illescas, El Viso de San Juan, Yeles, Lucillos and Ugena) managed by a family clan with the structure of a criminal group. The investigations began following anomalies detected by an electrical company that warned of illegal connections to the network. Upon entering the homes, the agents they found more than 5,800 plants, 3,600 cuttings, firearms such as assault rifles and cash. The simultaneous records revealed complex logistics and a high level of specialization: germination rooms, differentiated cultivation cycles and distribution to other networks that exported production outside of Spain. The mafia. That operation, framed in the National Plan against cannabis trafficking, confirmed what the authorities they already sensed: Toledo, due to its proximity to Madrid, was establishing itself as a preferred area for marijuana mafias, with warehouses and homes transformed into agricultural laboratories at the service of European drug trafficking. In fact, counted A few weeks later, the newspaper El País reported that the organizations, in a twist, were looking for empty apartments on social networks or even they consulted the obituaries to squat the houses. Fuensalida: the violent mutation. Three months later, the violence moved from the field of cultivation to that of theft and intimidation. In June, the Civil Guard dismantled the Ángel CM gang, a group of criminals that for months spread fear in Fuensalida and other towns in La Sagra. Based in a neighborhood nicknamed “the Bronx,” its leader organized assaults serial attacks on vulnerable people, vehicle thefts, falsification of license plates and thefts from shops and warehouses. Not only that. They acted with brutality: Victims were dragged or hit during the pulling, and some elderly people suffered fractures and serious injuries. The Civil Guard and the Local Police managed to arrest nine people (all residents of Fuensalida) after weeks of surveillance and chases in broad daylight. Toledo as a hub. In one of those chases, an accomplice fled cross-country after stealing a car. The arrest of Ángel and his collaborators brought relief to the area, but it also showed that Toledo was no longer just home to cultivation networks, but also crime groups organized with its own structures and hierarchies, capable of operating between several provinces. The international leap. After the summer, the National Police dismantled in Yuncos, Palomeque and Méntrida an organization that represented a qualitative leap: a drug trafficking network with direct links with the Mexican Sinaloa cartel. Sixteen people were arrested, including a chemist from the cartel itself who had traveled from Mexico to direct production of cocaine and methamphetamine. Clandestine laboratories. The agents located two camouflaged laboratories in rural areas, equipped with industrial materials, chemical reagents and security systems designed to hide the activity. More than 160 kilos of drugs were seized, including cocaine, base, ephedrine and methamphetamine, along with 7,500 liters of precursors and 21,000 euros in cash. Fifteen of those arrested were placed in provisional prison. The operation confirmed that Toledo had ceased to be just a logistical territory: it had become a production and refining enclave of high-value drugs, which implied the arrival of foreign technicians, international financing and a level of sophistication unprecedented in the region. A shooting as a turning point. On November 9, the municipality of El Casar de Escalona (barely two thousand inhabitants) was the scene of a shooting between agents of the Special Operations Group (GEO) and a group of drug traffickers of Dominican origin. The suspects, from Asturias, they planned to kidnap to members of another local network to settle a drug debt. When intercepted by the Police, they opened fire and the geos responded. One of the alleged drug traffickers died on the spot and two others were injured. No officers were hurt, but vehicles were riddled by gunfire. The operation, directed by Udyco, revealed the existence of groups dedicated to violent debt collection between gangs, a phenomenon typical of urban drug trafficking environments transferred to rural Spain. The drift. The shooting also coincided with another armed confrontation in Seville, where a police officer was seriously injured by an assault rifle during a hashish raid. Both episodes led police unions to demand more media and bulletproof vests in the face of the “qualitative leap” in crime, which no longer hesitates to confront with weapons of war. Toledo as a mirror of a phenomenon. The Ministry of the Interior he responded remembering the budget reinforcement and the purchase of new ballistic equipment, while the anti-drug prosecutor of the National Court, Rosa Ana Morán, warned of the risk that Spain would follow the path of Belgium and the Netherlands, where drug trafficking networks have derived in shootings, threats to judges and institutional corruption. If you like, Toledo, converted into marijuana laboratoryenclave methamphetamine and scene of reckoningsymbolizes that dangerous transition: from a quiet province to the epicenter of globalized crime that mixes Latin American drug trafficking, local crime and European infrastructure. A geography that reflects the displacement of organized crime towards the interior of the peninsula and the birth of a new silent frontier in the heart of Castilla-La Mancha. Image | Civil Guard In Xataka | First they kidnap you, then they put you to work in online scams: the drama of thousands of people in Asia In Xataka | The fake sex ads that ruined lives. The Valencian criminal gang of online fraud and extortion falls

In the rural US there are more and more towns mobilized against its construction

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The race they are in disputing Big Tech Mastering artificial intelligence is driving massive investment in data center infrastructure around the world, especially in the United States. But there are already localities that are complaining of it. In fact, some are even going so far as to ban the construction of data centers altogether. And there are several reasons for this, especially because its monstrous water consumptionelectricity and noise. An unprecedented case. Saline Township, a small rural municipality in Michigan, rejected the construction of a 100-acre data center on agricultural land. Just like account Washington Post, the developer Related Digital responded with a lawsuit, accompanied by neighbors who wanted to sell their land for the project. The city ended up giving in to the threat of a lengthy legal process, achieving only a few concessions such as limits on water use and millions of dollars for the fire department. “They were between a rock and a hard place,” explained Fred Lucas, the municipality’s attorney. Why protests are multiplying. For decades, data centers have been discrete infrastructures necessary to keep the Internet running. But the AI ​​boom has accelerated its construction at a dizzying pace, and local communities have begun to perceive its drawbacks. Ben Green, professor at the University of Michigan, points out that “there has been a real change in the last six months in terms of the public becoming more aware of what data centers are and becoming more skeptical.” What they offer and what they do not offer to cities. The promoters usually promise fiscal investment, municipal income and jobs. Related Digital, for example, offered 3.5 million dollars for affordable housing in Cheyenne, Wyoming. However, construction work is temporary and once operational, these centers require very few employees. Meanwhile, your energy consumption It drives up neighbors’ electric bills and some use large amounts of water to cool their systems. Just like account Midway, in Memphis, residents protested an xAI data center for polluting natural gas turbines. The cities that are standing up. St. Charles, Missouri, went beyond rejection, as approved unanimously a one-year moratorium prohibiting any construction of data centers. The decision came after developer CRG proposed a 178-hectare facility near drinking water wells, without disclosing expected water consumption or noise levels. “It almost looks like they were trying to force it down people’s throats,” assured a 78-year-old neighbor in the middle. CRG withdrew its application before the vote. Even with million-dollar investment, fear persists. Lordstown, Ohio, welcomed with enthusiasm part of the stargate projecta $500 billion investment led by OpenAI and SoftBank, to repurpose a former General Motors factory closed in 2019. The idea was to manufacture data center components on site, with a small demonstration facility. But when OpenAI’s announcements raised fears of a large-scale data center being set up, the city council introduced a permanent ban on new data centres, with the only exception being the already agreed installation. “People panicked,” explained in the middle Mayor Jackie Woodward. Virginia, epicenter of political debate. The data center problem has also become an election issue in Virginiaone of the states most affected by this expansion. In Prince William County, near Washington DC, Republican and Democratic candidates compete to see who can promise tougher measures against these infrastructures. “I think we should ban all future data centers,” Republican candidate Patrick Harders declared in a debate, while his Democratic rival George Stewart agreed that “the crushing weight of data centers” was a crisis, with large companies “making us, as residents, pay for their energy.” The immediate future. With a billion dollars in recent investments and the energy demand of AI growing without brakes, everything indicates that this conflict has only just begun. Technology companies need these infrastructures to promote their technology based on generative artificial intelligence, but localities in the United States are increasingly reluctant to build them. Cover image | İsmail Enes Ayhan In Xataka | ChatGPT and AI have done for hard drives what no one expected: brought them back to life

In rural Salamanca someone has had an idea to revitalize the towns: give you the bar

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Spain is full of ghost towns that are sold for a few hundred thousand euros. There are also such small towns where, unfortunately, silence is your most precious asset. And I say “unfortunately” because they are isolated areas, towns with barely a hundred inhabitants that are seeking to have a new life and that are launching initiatives to, if not maintain, stop losing population. The idea of ​​a Salamanca town is “give a present“the bar to whoever wants it. They only have one condition: Open on weekends. Rent for one euro a year. Alba Coca It is a small town in Salamanca that had its population peak in the 60s with… 273 inhabitants. Since then, free fall to 95 registered in 2024. It is another of those towns with centuries of history behind it, and another of those that have a shortage of resources due to the gradual abandonment of a population that has been migrating to the cities. To try to breathe life into the town, the City Council has had an idea: rent the municipal bar for a symbolic price: one euro a year. A few years ago, and after renovating it thanks to the help of the Salamanca Provincial Council, an Argentine family registered in the town and took over the business. He gave it life, but after returning to his country, the local, fully equipped and 200 square meters, it was abandoned again. “The bar is everything”. Dori Vicente Ciudad is the mayor of Coca de Alba and points out the importance of the place as it is not only… well, a bar, but also a center for leisure, meeting, coexistence and entertainment as it can be used as a civic center. The rent, as we say, is symbolic, but the condition is that “it must open, at least, on weekends.” In addition, the mayor comments that she asks the successful bidders to register in the town and attract people to energize it. Because the bar will not be the leisure center of Coca de Alba: it will also be the center of people from other nearby towns who could be attracted to the activities held there. A carte blanche, in short. That importance for the figure of the bar is something that anyone who lives in or visits such small towns knows well. Pedro Astudillo is the mayor of Border Zoritaanother town in Salamanca with about 150 inhabitants that also rents the bar for about 180 euros per month and is thinking of installing solar panels to alleviate expenses. “The bar is everything, the meeting place where we all get together, it is a social good,” assures the councilor, who shares the opinion with Juan Carlos Martín, mayor of Cantaracillo -190 inhabitants after reaching 825 in the 50s-. “The bar is a meeting point, you see more people on the street, it creates activity, it is a very important benefit and is essential in the municipalities,” says Juan Carlos. Cantaracillo rents his bar for 50 euros a month, and it already has license plates. Alba Coca Institutional support. This giving life to the bars of emptied Spain is not an isolated measure and, in fact, the Salamanca Provincial Council itself detailed at the end of 2023 that there was a plan to allocate some 300,000 euros so that towns that do not have active hospitality establishments can open one. Thus, each city council that requested it would have up to 30,000 euros to undertake the renovation. At the time, it was estimated that there were at least 80 towns that could benefit from subsidies and it was ensured that anyone who met the requirements would not be left without help. The conditions were similar to those of Coca de Alba: commitment to opening throughout the year with an activity of at least two days a week. It is not an isolated case. It is no longer just the symbolic price (and not so symbolic in other cases), but the commitment of the people installing solar panels or running the bar’s expenses so that the meager profits from the establishment go to whoever settles in the town to run it. Although we mention cases of Salamanca, other towns have recently launched contests to find someone to run the municipal bar. Bermellar is also in Salamanca and, apart from offer the bar for one euro, also includes housing. Towns of Burgos like Santa Cecilia have similar offers and, apart from institutional initiatives, there are also some private ones. For example, BarLab Rural is a project promoted by Mahou-San Miguel and AlmaNatura to reopen bars in towns with less than 5,000 inhabitants. There is no clear guide to attract population or, as we said, encourage what is there not to be lost. AND examples of initiatives there are lots, like promote research, create parties, give it all done or directly pay for you to move. Images | Google Maps, Tamorlan In Xataka | Spain’s industry is moving from traditional cities to Emptied Spain. The reason: renewables

the town’s latest big event has crossed borders

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The Vigo City Council has been fighting a battle against Uber for months that is not going exactly well. Of course, the response of the council in recent days has been to complicate things at the service of VTC. The Conxemar fair, one of the most important business events in Galicia, has been the chosen scenario to prove it. Conflict. Since Uber landed in Vigo in Junetaxi drivers have denounced that VTCs operate illegally on urban routes. Galician regulations stipulate that these vehicles can make intercity trips, but not those of an urban nature, such as going from the center to the Ifevi fairgrounds. However, the application continued to offer services in the city with hardly any consequences. At the end of August, the City Council reported that 60% of Uber vehicles in Vigo had been proposed for sanction. The data has its merits, since all these vehicles belong to companies based in Madrid that domiciled their cars in Galicia this same year. The complaints ended up recurring all the time while the activity continued. The pressure of taxi drivers. Conxemar was the first big event in the city since the arrival of Uber, and taxi drivers feared that the VTCs would keep part of the business generated by the fair. Faced with the situation, nearly 300 professionals created a pressure group outside the taxi employers’ associations. “If the local Police or the Civil Guard do not act on the first day of Conxemar, we may collapse the fair,” said Ángel, one of the group’s taxi drivers, to the media. The Voice of Galicia. The pressure took effect. The Local Police deployed controls at the accesses to the Ifevi with an application from the Ministry of Transport that allows knowing in real time the origin and destination of each trip, in addition to the complete history of VTC movements. Sanctions and controversy. During the first day of Conxemar, the Local Police reported four vehicles and immobilized two others with a tow truck included on Airport Avenue. Daniel Matías, president of the Elite Taxi Vigo association, acknowledged with satisfaction that the authorities “have done their job today,” just as shared the middle. The taxi drivers, who deployed some 400 vehicles in large shifts, celebrated the performance. However, Uber continued to offer trips in the morning with prices higher than 25 euros due to “high demand”, and some drivers They managed to jump the police fence to access Ifevi and the airport during the afternoon. A legal loophole. The Unauto employers’ association already has announced that he will appeal all sanctions. José Manuel Gallo, its director of legal services, commented to the media Faro de Vigo that “Let us not forget that VTC vehicles are covered by a totally legal transport authorization.” The employers’ association regrets that they are being “turned away” when “it is a reality that the VTC wants to make its way in Vigo”, after having unsuccessfully requested meetings with the Council and the Xunta. Uber takes advantage of the gaps in the system, since some vehicles come in the morning from Pontevedra and perform services on the limits of Vigo, a gray area that makes police action difficult. An open pulse. Penalties can reach up to 6,000 euros per vehicle, but all those imposed so far have been appealed in court. Meanwhile, in Vigo up to 40 VTCs operate without a municipal license, protected by what the employers consider a “legal loophole” and which the taxi sector directly classifies as illegal activity. Matias explains to the media that they now hope that “the situation remains the same”, aware that the complicated thing is “being behind” these vehicles when there are no events that facilitate the controls. Cover image | Paula Pereira and Tingey Injury Law Firm In Xataka | In case the electric car was not enough, Europe is missing another train: that of autonomous cars

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