Areces at Club Siglo 21 & the truth about 'Les Cuenques'

What is needed for Asturias to prosper?<br>
¿Qué se precisa para que Asturias prosperará?

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Areces at Club Siglo 21 & the truth about 'Les Cuenques'

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In his review of the film ‘La Torre de Suso’ [see topic at http://www.asturianus.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2206], Carlos reminded me of the steep economic decline of the mining districts. Known as ‘la cuenca minera’ or ‘les cuenques’ in short, the term refers to the river valleys of the Nalon and Caudal in central Asturias. Together, they form a subculture within Asturias because of their coal-mining tradition, much as the coal pits of southern Wales have generated a culture of their own.

Along the Nalon, the coal-mining district comprises the towns of Blimea, Sotrondiu, Cianu, Sama, Llangreu and Rianu (sorry, my keyboard is not reliable for accent marks). Along the Caudal, Mieres del Camin is the main municipality.

This is just to preface a story that my parents passed along this past week (December 13, 2007). My mother sent an email warning her children that they would be attending a speech by Vicente A. Areces at the Euro Building in downtown Madrid. She is sensitized, at this point, to our distaste for the president of the Principality of Asturias and his party, the PSOE/FSA. Areces was in town for a propaganda event hosted by the Club Siglo 21. Here is an excerpt from her email:

My mother: “Is it Club Siglo XXI or just Club XXI, or is that a restaurant? Anyway, it was Suárez Pertierra (Minister of Defense with Felipe Gonzalez) who presented Tini Areces to a gathering that included Sabino Fdez Campo, Gabino from Uvieu and I guess a lot of businessmen from Asturias and Madrid. Your Dad had mentioned that we were going there…and that the usual tone was "cantar el que guapo soy". And he was right. Anyway, it was interesting to see the place and the atmosphere. They will probably run an article in the local newspapers.”

I got curious and indeed I found the event on a video clip at www.teleasturias.com. Here are some excerpts that I thought were priceless, in which Areces did just that, ‘cantar el que guapo soy’ [engaged in self-adulation]:

Teleasturias: En medio del debate por las emisiones del CO2 que situan a Asturias en la mas contaminante de Espana, el presidente del Principado lo obvio y transmitio en el Club Siglo XXI [Madrid] que en Asturias ya se fabrica material telescopico, se producen railes para alta velocidad y se han transformado los valles del Caudal en un un referente educativo y el del Nalon en uno tecnologico.

Vicente A. Areces: Ademas de paraiso natural, [Asturias] se ha convertido en un paraiso digital gracias a la consolidacion tecnologica que esta experimentando…Quien podria imaginarse que el valle del Nalon era un valle tecnologico. Quien ha ido por Langreo, por Samartin del Rei Aurelio hace anos y habra mucha gente con el buzo azul y con la cara de carbon saliendo de la mina. Y resulta que hoy…pues muchisimos empleos, quizas ya hay mas en este sector que en la propia mineria.”

Teleasturias: Pero, eludio citar que Asturias esta en el furgon de cola junto con Extremedura con tasas de paro por encima de la media y con una poblacion envejecida porque muchos jovenes emigran en busca de mejores condiciones.

If you understood the Spanish here, you will notice that Areces implies there are so many jobs in ‘les cuenques’ that there is almost a labor shortage. If capital and labor are the factors of productivity, Asturian GDP is about to shoot through the roof in places like Sama! In his speech, Areces says the changes are so dramatic along the Nalon. You no longer see black-faced men in blue work jumpers coming out of a coal pit. Instead, there will be a labor shortage and Silicon Valley, beware…

The truth is less inflatable. Last time I was in ‘les cuenques’ with a friend from Les Teyeres, what I saw were shuttered businesses, desolate streets and an ageing population. Indeed, there were no men in blue jumpers. My friend’s cousins, taken just as a sample of local Generation X, were working in Aviles doing electrical work because they said there was no work in the former mining district. No one wanted to buy an apartment there. They keep rabbits in their backyard to supplement their income, much like characters in Michael Moore’s film about Flint (Michigan) do in ‘Roger and Me’ (1989).

Then I checked the demographics for ‘les cuenques’ at www.sadei.es, an economic statistics portal. And surprise: according to SADEI, the Nalon river valley registered negative demographic growth of 1,553 people from 2002 to 2005. The Caudal river valley lost 2,974 people over the same period. Signs of economic growth? No more people in blue jumpers?

Well, no, all the men in blue jumpers are now early retirees. Their sons and daughers are working in Aviles, Bilbao, Barcelona and Madrid. And San Jose, California, can sleep comfortably at night. Nobody in the Principau d'Asturies is eating their lunch.

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Na sua recension de ‘La Torre de Suso’ [http://www.asturianus.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2206], Carlos alcordoume del desaniciu economicu que viven ‘les cuenques’. Esti terminu refierse a los val.les del Nalon ya’l Caudal nel centro d’Asturias. Xuntos forman un tipu de sub-cultura asturiana pola industria del carbon, igual qu’asocede nel sur de Gales au la mineria xenerou una sociopolitica especifica.

A la veira del Nalon, los conceyos mineiros pasan per Blimea, Sotrondiu, Cianu, Sama, Llangreu ya Rianu (perdonai, nun salen bien los acentos no miou teclau). Nel val.le del Caudal, Mieres del Camin ia’l municipiu de mayor bayura.

Esto d’entamu pa cuntavos una cousiquina que dixeran mious pais esta selmana pasao (13 d’avientu 2007). Mia mai mandounos un email nel que alvertia que diban escuitar una conferencia de Vicente A. Areces nel Euro Building de Madrid. Digo que ‘alvertia’ porque xa ta aliel.la a la pouca simpatia que-y tenemos al presidente’l Principau ya’l sou partiu, el PSOE asturianu, ou FSA. El casu foi que Areces taba en Madrid pa un actu de propaganda nel Club Siglo 21. Eiqui vei un cachu d’esi email:

Mia mai: “Ye’l Club Siglo 21 ou namai Club 21, o ye un restoran? Da igual, el casu ye que Suarez Pertierra (ministru defensa baxo Felipe Gonzalez) presentara a Tini Areces nuna conferencia na que taba Sabino Fdez Campo, Gabino d’Uvieu y pemeque tamien xente de negocios d’Asturies y Madrid. Tou pai dixera a algun conociu que dibemos dir…y que tratabase davezu de ‘cantar el que guapo soy’. Y tenia razon. Foi interesante ver el sitiu y tastiar l’ambiente. Dexuro que apaez daque na prensa.”

Picoume la curiosida ya toupara esti clip en www.teleasturias.com. Eiqui van del.los cachos ensin preciu del discursu nel que Areces cantara ‘el que guapo soy’:

Teleasturias: En medio del debate por las emisiones del CO2 que situan a Asturias en la mas contaminante de Espana, el presidente del Principado lo obvio y transmitio en el Club Siglo XXI [Madrid] que en Asturias ya se fabrica material telescopico, se producen railes para alta velocidad y se han transformado los valles del Caudal en un un referente educativo y el del Nalon en uno tecnologico.

Vicente A. Areces: Ademas de paraiso natural, [Asturias] se ha convertido en un paraiso digital gracias a la consolidacion tecnologica que esta experimentando…Quien podria imaginarse que el valle del Nalon era un valle tecnologico. Quien ha ido por Langreo, por Samartin del Rei Aurelio hace anos y habra mucha gente con el buzo azul y con la cara de carbon saliendo de la mina. Y resulta que hoy…pues muchisimos empleos, quizas ya hay mas en este sector que en la propia mineria.”

Teleasturias: Pero, eludio citar que Asturias esta en el furgon de cola junto con Extremedura con tasas de paro por encima de la media y con una poblacion envejecida porque muchos jovenes emigran en busca de mejores condiciones.

Areces quier dar a entender que anguanu nos val.les del Nalon ya Caudal hai tantos puestos de trabayu que bien ceu habra hasta deficit de trabayadores. Si el capital financieru ya la man de obra son los factores de productivida, bien ceu el PIB asturianu vei disparase pel teyau en sitios como Sama. Na sua conferencia, Areces dixo que los cambios notanse enforma na cuenca del Nalon au nun se ve xente con monos azules ya la cara prieta de carbon. Paez como si tuviera diciendo que aquel.lo ta camin de convertise en Silicon Valley…

La realida ia menos inflacionista. De la que tuviera peles Teyeres (Sama) hai 1 anu, lo que viera you fonon tiendas pesl.ladas, cais vacias de xente ya una poblacion avieyao. Los primos del miou col.laciu, de la xeneracion X, trabayaban en subcontratas de l.letricida n’Aviles porque decian que nun habia trabayu perehi. Naide tampouco nun taba por mercar un pisu na cuenca. Na llosa tres de casa guardaban coneyos pa vendelos ya ganase unas perrucas, igual que fain los personaxes nel documental de Michael Moore sobre Flint (Michigan) en ‘Roger and Me’ (1989).

Darreu, quixe echar una gueyada a las estadisticas demograficas pa ‘les cuenques’ nun portal economicu asturianu: www.sadei.es. Ya vaya sorpresina. Segun SADEI, el val.le del Nalon rexistra una medria demografica negativa, perdiendo 1.553 personas ente 2002 ya 2005. Nel val.le del Caudal, nesi mesmu periodu perdieronse 2.974 personas. Signos de medria economica? Que nun hai mas xente vestida con monos azules?

Nomenon, ia que los paisanos de la cuenca que gastaban esos monos azules agora tan prexubilaos! Ya los sous fios ya fias tan trabayando n’Aviles, Bilbao, Barcelona ou Madrid. Silicon Valley pue seguir durmiendo tranquilina, que naide no Principau d’Asturias ta comiendo-ys el ‘lunch’.
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Post by is »

Shortly after Areces' speech at the Club Siglo 21 in Madrid, in which he said that the mining districts of central Asturias had turned into a 'Digital Paradise', here is an article by the LNE (Nueva Espana; January 3, 2008) confirming the steady population loss in the river valleys of the Nalon and Caudal.

According to the latest statistics, the population in Mieres del Camin is has now dipped below 45,000. Instead of trying to inject a false optimism in the population by denying realities, the problem with policymakers in Asturias is that they fear the loss of political capital if they address the region's problems. Thus, Areces offers an idyllic vision of 'les cuenques' that is not only eons away from reality, but also an insult to anyone's intelligence.

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Silicosis Valley

Post by mofusu »

¡Que razón tienes, Is? La presa del "rexime" (cásique tolos periodicos) nunca nun relaciona la baxada del paru nes cuenques con la demografía. Evidentemente, si una parte importante de la xente n'edá de trabayar ta fuera d'Asturies baxa'l paru.. Y eso q'un bon pocentaxe de la xente que ta fuera sigue empadronao n'Asturies, maquillando asina les cifres de población de los conceyos. Pero con esta situación de decadencia, el "partíu" nun fai más qu'aumentar el so poder; por medio d'organizaciones satélite como Valnalón o les supuestes "diversificaciones" d'HUNOSA controla tamién l'ámbitu económicu, amás del políticu. D'esta manera la FSA llogra un tipu de ciudadanu-votante-cliente-asalariáu que representa un porcentaxe curiosu de los sos votos.
Les Cuenques nunca nun fueron un Silicon Valley... como muncho fueron, nuna dómina, un Silicosis Valley, y agora van camín de ser un Cirrhosis Valley.

Un saludu.
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Suicides in South Wales / Suicidios na cuenca minera galesa

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In today’s Washington Post (Feb. 21, 2008; see link below) there’s an interesting article about a suicide wave of young people aged 15-27 in the former coal mining districts of South Wales. Sorry for the macabre news, but sociologically, the area around Cardiff, Wales, is very close to the 'cuenca minera' in Asturias (Les Cuenques). Many people in both regions turned to drugs and alcohol in the 1970s-80s after the closure of coal pits. As Mufosu pointed out, this is certainly not the pretty picture painted by Areces of a future ‘Silicon Valley’, but instead, unfortunately, more of a 'Cirrhosis Valley'.

According to the article, about 21% of the population in Bridgend County, South Wales, receives some form of unemployment assistance from the government. Maybe someone can find out what the equivalent level is in places like Sama, Llangreu, Mieres and other ex-mining towns where the PSOE/FSA has its client networks through Jose Angel Fernandez-Villa, the union leader of SOMA (unionized miners). Here is a short excerpt from the article:

"Bridgend County is a collection of rural villages around the central market town of Bridgend, which has a population of 40,000 and lies about 20 miles west of Cardiff, the Welsh capital. Once famous for its coal mines, the area was a major producer of munitions during World War II and then a manufacturing hub for televisions and furniture in the postwar years.

But those jobs have moved to China and Eastern Europe, and now the government is the largest employer, although some enterprises offering high-skilled jobs have moved in, including plants producing engines for Ford and cameras for Sony."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 02832.html

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Nel Washington Post de guei (21 de febreiru, 2008; facei click nel enl.laz d’embaxo), hai un articulu interesante sobre una riestra de suicidios pente la xente mozo, de 15 a 27 anos, nas cuencas mineras del sur de Gales. Perdon polo tenebrosu de la noticia, pero abultame que los distritos del sur de Gales non l.lonxe de la ciuda de Cardiff tienen abondo en comun cona cuenca minera asturiana (Les Cuenques). Muita xente nas duas rexones caeu nel mundu las drogas ya’l alcohol despueis de que pesl.laran los pozos de carbon na decada los 70 ya 80. Cumu xa dixera Mufosu mas arriba, esta nun ia dexuro la semeya guapa que vende Areces cona sua fala d’una ‘Silicon Valley’ asturiana. Mas bien ia lu que diz Mufosu, una ‘Cirrhosis Valley’, desafortunadamente.

L’articulu diz que nel condau de Bridgend (Gales), au tuvieron l.lugar estos suicidios, casi el 21% de la xente depende de sofitu economicu del estau britanicu. Seique dalgun de vosotros sabria cual ia la cifra equivalente en sitios cumo Sama, Llangreu, Mieres ya outros nucleos de poblacion na cuenca minera asturiana au el PSOE/FSA esparde las suas redes clientelares altravies de Jose Angel Fernandez-Villa, el cabezaleiru del SOMA. Eiqui vei un avance del articulu nel Washington Post:

“El Condau de Bridgend ye un garrapiellu d’aldees alrodiu del centro comercial de Bridgend, que tien 40.000 habitantes y ta a 20 milles de la ciuda de Cardiff, la capital. Va tiempu, esta fastera fue celebre polos sus pozos mineros. Na 2da Guerra Mundial el condau tamien se dedicara a producir armes y darreu a tornose nun centro de produccion de televisores y muebles.

Pero esos puestos de trabayu anguanu marcharon a China y a Europa oriental. Agora, l’estau britanicu ye l’encargau de dar trabayu a la xente del llugar. Seique hai delles empreses ufiertando trabayos de valor amestau, incluyendo les fabriques pa producir motores pa la empresa Ford o camares pa Sony”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 02832.html
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40% of people in Les Cuenques

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According to the article below in the LNE (La Nueva Espana; Feb. 24, 2008), the statistic for percentage of people in 'Les Cuenques' that depend on government handouts is 40%. The number is derived from the active public health cards as of Dec. 2007. The health card, which gives people free access to medical coverage, allows retirees and early retirees to receive free medicine at pharmacies. That explains why I see so many pharmacies in Asturias, I've always wondered...

Also, one half of the people living in the former mining districts is retired or early-retired. Here is the first paragraph from the article. For the full-text version, click on the link below:

"Uno de cada dos vecinos de las Cuencas está pensionado y obtiene fármacos de forma gratuita. Así se desprende del registro que obra en poder de las áreas asistenciales del Caudal y del Nalón, que contabiliza el número global de tarjetas sanitarias de las comarcas mineras. Según esas cifras, las áreas VII y VIII dan cobertura a 151.110 pacientes. En total, 61.677, un 40,8 por ciento, son pensionistas (una catalogación que no sólo incluye a las personas mayores de 65 años). Esta elevada cifra provoca que el gasto en farmacia se haya incrementado de manera notable en los dos valles carboneros en el último lustro."

Enlace al artículo/Link to article
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