Village wants to move to a new region 'to get a better government'
Village wants to move to a new region 'to get a better government'
A SMALL village in inland Spain wants to redefine regional borders and move further south, potentially re-writing the map of the country.
Residents of Solana del Pino (pictured), which is in the province of Ciudad Real and the autonomous region of Castilla-La Mancha, are close to the border of the province of Jaén and the region of Andalucía.
And their mayor, Juliana Duque Fernández (PSOE) says the 410 inhabitants of the hamlet want to be part of Andalucía rather than Castilla-La Mancha, whose PP regional government, she claims, 'ignores' them and leave them without any money.
The public coffers in Solana del Pino have a zero balance because their regional government owes them 370,000 euros.
And in Andalucía, the coalition PSOE-IU (socialist-united left) government 'seems fairer, more just and respects democracy more', Duque Fernández says.
Neighbouring towns and villages have received their agreed grants from Castilla-La Mancha's government, led by María Dolores del Cospedal, whereas Solana del Pino is 'singled out', complains the mayor.
They have not received the cash due to them for adult education tutors and carers' benefits and, because of the regional authorities' debt to them, have had to withdraw funding for home help for the elderly, sick and disabled.
“They don't respect anyone, we're fed up and sick of being left out,” complains Duque Fernández.
Solana del Pino is right next to the Sierra de Andújar mountain range and nature reserve and around 90 kilometres away from the nearest large town, Andújar – the same distance which separates the village from their provincial capital, Ciudad Real.
The mayor says she has not formally applied to Andalucía's regional government to move across the border, but has every intention of doing so if the situation does not change.
