Hunger strike man admitted to hospital

Venta La Jarandilla (now closed)

CASTELLAR (Agencies) José Fuentes, the former manager of La Jarandilla, on the way up to the castle and now closed down, was admitted to hospital in Algeciras yesterday, as a result of the hunger strike he began 35 days ago in protest at having had his business closed down and evicted by the administrators of the La Almoraima estate. He has been protesting at various spots in the area and complaining that the Mayor of Castellar, Francisco Vaca, is indifferent to his cause. The business included a venta/restaurant, a flea market an camping, outdoor accommodation, all of which were closed down by La Almoraima.

Why was this family business closed down?

CASTELLAR Sunday lunch at a roadside venta with the family is a long held tradition in Spain. Locally, one of the places we might have visited was the one on the way up to the castle at Castellar called La Jarandilla. Aside from the restaurant, we might have visited the flea market (photo) as well, which had grown over the years into something that at least in part sustained a few local families. But none more so than that of Francisco Fuentes, who ran the whole complex for years and who was on a hunger strike until recently because he had asked for a meeting with Manuel Gutiérrez, the Managing Director of La Almoraima, in whose land Fuentes has had an establishment for 18 years, with approval from the Junta and all local authorities. It wasn't just the venta, either: there was a rural tourism complex that included environmental education facilities, rafting and all kinds of supervised activities mainly aimed at children. (Prospero had a great time there with his kids a few years ago; the perfect rural setting for a wonderful family outing.)>