In the pre-elections “You’re-even-worse-than-us” slugfest between the major political parties, the socialist PSOE nosed into the lead this week - on the basis of corruption charges against a PP mayor in Majorca. But yesterday came the news the police had arrested a PSOE candidate for mayor of the little village in which all 37 residents were suspects in the murder of the last incumbent. The PSOE has sniffily said it’s not going to get involved in what it considers a criminal investigation or in the settling of scores. Of course not. Nonetheless, the PP has now assumed the [not very lofty] moral high ground. At least until next week’s orchestrated scandal. What fun.

In Madrid this week the police broke up a prostitution ring which was promoting services to teenagers in the local colleges. The fliers circulating in these featured an introductory offer of “2 polvos and a small beer’ for 40 euros. You can surely figure out what polvo means, apart from ‘dust’. I have no idea why. Anyway, all this is very much in keeping with the standard Spanish male view that prostitution is not something to get awfully exercised by. I have visions of 17 year old youths openly tapping their proud fathers for the 40 euros. Once they’ve finished their homework, of course.

The antics of President Chavez in Venezuela this week reminded me of the comment heard occasionally here that Spain’s greatest legacy to its colonies is despotism. Or caudillismo. And they brought to mind the complaint of a reader a year or two ago that it was incorrect to call Chavez a dictator. Ah well. Clearly it was more of a prescient prediction than a description.

It’s been a bad week for me. Firstly, I had to agree with Xoan Carlos that Galicia could be considered a nation, if this was taken to mean merely a community with a shared history and culture. Secondly, I found myself accepting there was considerable common ground between me and another nationalist, Carlos. Thirdly, I ended up creating a link to what I thought was a satirical anti-nationalist site but which turned out to be a satirical pro-nationalist site. Finally, I was offered the job of Ambassador to Britain in a future independent Galicia. Age is supposed to bring wisdom but it appears merely to have made me a pushover. The good news is that not all Galician nationalists appear to be as mad as those who’ve previously written to me. Some of them even seem to be extremely sensible and reasonable and not given to adolescent invective. Yes, I’m definitely going soft. I need another attack from Aleksu, the Basque nationalist in New Zealand. Where is he when you need him?

Galicia Facts

Yesterday was Galicia Day at the International Tourism Fair [Fitur] in Madrid. Paradoxically, our bare-breasted local heroine, Ana Maria Ríos, was in the Navarra pavilion, touting her book rather than her tits. Obviously already on the slippery slope downwards. She’ll soon be available to give a talk to Pontevedra’s English Speaking Society.