Calahonda had a strong police presence because a Government Minister was eating at a restaurant there.

“Many Nacional Police 4 cars plus Van in Calahonda and a Guardia Civil Tráfico patrol searching Calle Miguel de Cervantes. Never seen Tráfico in urban streets before! 15:27 14 February

Ministros de España, apparently, more Guardia Civil, not allowed to be near the Restaurant Conjuro (Ridiculously expensive – A Front IMO) and Luna Azul block of Flats.”

Simon Walsh

Hi, Simon, I dug around and found out the reason for this: Minister for Política Territorial y Memoria Democrática, Ángel Víctor Torres, had been at a presentation in Carchuna castle, on the beach, commemorating the 87th anniversary of the Desbandá; i.e., when thousands fled advancing Franco’s troops during the Spanish Civil War along the N-340, trying to reach Republican territory beyond Motril.

Whilst there, he announced that the Central Government was moving to declare La Desbandá as a Lugar de Memoria Democrática

He was accompanied by other bigwigs, local politicians and members of the association behind the commemoration of this tragic episode where over 3,000 fleeing civilians were massacred. They were bombed from the air and shelled from the sea whilst being pursued by tanks.

The castle, which is now used as an exhibition hall, was a prisoner of war camp during the war, where a Canadian volunteer fighting for the Republic led a daring mission to free prisoners with success.

Anyway, that’s why there were so many DGT officers around because they had provided the security escort from Carchuna to Calahonda so that the bigwigs could eat at public expense in the said ‘expensive’ restaurante.

((News/Reader’s Letter: Calahonda, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)