Parishioners in the town of Jane, in the country’s parched southern region, staged a procession Monday to pray for rain as Spain faces a historic drought. They marched with “El Abuelo” (the grandfather), an ancient statue of Christ carrying the cross.
Under the afternoon sun, thousands of residents watched “El Abuelo” pass through the streets of this city in the interior of Andalusia, where they had not come out for rain since March 1949.
“We are in the grip of a continuous drought and this procession aims to ask God to help us and save us,” explained AFP Ricardo Cobos, an elder brother of the brotherhood of “El Abuelo”.
“We are very dependent on olive trees and olive oil, and when there is no water in the land it is an economic disaster,” he adds. Spain, which exports much of its agricultural output to the rest of Europe, has been hit by a devastating drought that worries farmers and officials.
Choking lands
According to Coke, the main farmers’ union, 60% of Spain’s farmland is currently “asphyxiating” due to lack of rain. And the country’s reservoirs are only 50.1% full of their capacity, even 24.8% in the Guadalquivir basin in Andalusia.
Spain experienced an exceptionally early heatwave last week, with temperatures exceeding 37°C in some places.
The Spanish government last Tuesday asked the European Commission to activate the Common Agricultural Policy’s “emergency provision” to help its farmers. Along with this demand, the Spanish government has announced a series of tax increases for its farmers, including a 25% reduction in income tax, which will benefit 800,000 professionals.
In John, we scan the sky. “I came here to see the Lord and I believe he will give us water,” said Antonia Contreras, a housewife from a nearby town who was following the procession.
This article was published automatically. Sources: ats / afp
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