By David Eade – Costa del Sol News
A jury has found a gypsy youth guilty of the murder of José Muñoz Soto in a shooting by the Spanish Legion barracks in Ronda on September 8 2009.
Soto was a respected businessman in the town and also the senior brother of the Gitanos brotherhood that carried one of the thrones during Ronda’s Semana Santa parades.
The nine-member jury were unanimous in their guilty verdict after a week long trial. The prosecution alleged the youth, who was 18-years-old at the time, was sitting in the passenger seat of Soto’s car parked by the barracks when the murder took place. It was claimed he drew out a Glock semi-automatic pistol and fired in to his victim’s side killing him instantly.
For his part the assailant would not admit he was in the car when the murder took place and denied there were any differences between them. However he did arrive at the nearby Hotel Don Benito shortly after the shooting then took a taxi to Algodonales but it was intercepted by police.
The court has yet to hand down a jail term. Both the prosecutor and the lawyer acting for the Soto family are seeking 18 years for the murder and two years for the illegal possession of the weapon. Now the guilty verdict has been returned the defence is pleading for 15 years. There are also demands for indemnity payments to his widow and children.
The youth is a member of a well-known Gypsy family in Almeria that has a string of previous convictions. It is thought the argument may have been over a debt involving horses. Soto had a furniture business in Ronda and was highly regarded in the community.
He had been elected as the senior brother of Los Gitanos at the beginning of 2008. The famous fraternity traditionally takes its throne out on Palm Sunday. Such was the impact of the shooting on the members that they withdrew from the 2010 procession. There was widespread mourning in Ronda after his death and a huge turn-out at the funeral including representatives of all the fraternities in the town.
SMURF WEEKENDS IN JÚZCAR
The small Serranía de Ronda village of Júzcar has been propelled to international stardom after it was painted blue and presented to the world as the village of the Smurfs.
It is all part of Sony Pictures promotion of its film The Smurfs in 3D – the Smurfs are Los Pitufos in Spanish – which saw Júzcar chosen as the typical Smurfs’ home.
This has led to Smurf weekends being held over the summer at Júzcar. The “Aventura Pitufa” has seen dozens of children take part as they travel to the village from all over Andalucía.
The adventure has been organised by a local company and is open to all children aged over two years. They follow a route around the village looking for the Smurfs’ mushrooms, treasure, take part nature orientation, in the search for water and spiders and they meet personalities and encounter magic.
The adventures start on Saturdays at 11.00 and 20.00 and at 21.00 on Sundays. Mayor David Fernández said the aim was to maintain the expectations of the young visitors to when they arrived in the Smurfs’ blue village there were related activities for them to do. Adults haven’t been forgotten because in addition to the adventure there is a craft market.
YOUR DEBT
The new Partido Popular – Partido Andalucista administration says Ronda town hall is bust and has ordered an audit to ascertain where the money has gone. The PSOE opposition led by former mayor Antonio Marín has demanded the audit goes back to 1999. The socialists insist the debt is historic, was run up by previous PP administrations and should be compared with compatible municipalities.
HALF FAIR
With the economic crisis and a new cost cutting administration Ronda’s famous Feria de Pedro Romero is having its budget cut by 50 per cent. It runs from August 30 to September 4; includes the Goyesca bullfights, international folk festival, parades plus day and night fairs. The town hall hopes much of the cash shortfall will be made up by clubs and businesses.
PROTECT TAJO
Recently Ronda council voted to allow the building of a five-star luxury hotel and 22 homes in the protected Cornisas del Tajo after a lengthy legal battle with the family that own the site since 1980. Now it’s back to court as Ecologistas en Acción, backed by IU, want the scheme halted saying residents shouldn’t be penalized because past administrations have made mistakes.
UNESCO BOOST
Ronda’s PP mayor and her PA deputy have met with the Plataforma Pro Ronda Patrimonio Mundial which is promoting the bid to have the town of the Tajo recognized as a world heritage site by UNESCO. They voiced their backing for the project being launched by the regional government and have promised to allocate a heritage expert, David Becerra, to the action group.
WINE TRAINING
The wine industry in the Serranía de Ronda is growing fast hence the need to train young people to handle the vines and to work in the bodegas. Ronda town hall has signed an accord with Lecharry which will see nine students given work experience at the company’s Cortijo de San Juan and its wine making centre – they will receive certificates on completion.
VIVA COLMENAR
Residents of El Colmenar – Estación de Gaucín live in the municipality of Cortes de la Frontera. The zone is now demanding to be an ELA giving it local autonomy, then take the next step and become an independent municipality. The administration in Cortes is a PA - IU coalition and residents of El Colmenar believe they will back and promote their separation interests.
DIGITAL JIMERA
Málaga province through its technology development department has installed its MOAD digital town hall system in Jimera de Líbar. MOAD allows local residents to carry out a lot of business with the town hall on-line so saving the need to visit the offices. With a digital certificate or electronic DNI residents can access on a 24-hour basis all the municipal services and departments.
GENAL DESTRUCTION
The Genal Valley working group reported the Andalucía ministry of the environment to the environment prosecutor and the EU over the cleaning of the river in the Puente de Gaucín area. It claims the flora and fauna have been destroyed by heavy excavation machinery moving earth. The Genal river has LIC status making it a place of environmental importance giving it European protection.
EAST WEST
On July 30 at 21.30 in Ronda’s bullring the internationally celebrated conductor and musician Daniel Barenboim brings his West Eastern Divan Orchestra to perform. The orchestra brings together young people from Israel and various Arab states to prove they can be united through music. They will play Beethoven’s 4 th and 7 th symphonies then play Mozart with the Al Andalus orchestra.
SHEIK ACADEMIES
Sheik Adbullah Al-Thani has taken Málaga football club by storm investing in numerous big name players ahead of the new season. However he is also supporting the game at the grass roots level with the opening of five academies. There is much excitement in Ronda at the establishment of one of the academies there as well as in Marbella, Benalmádena/Mijas, Vélez-Málaga and Antequera.
