Latest news with #DeLaTorre
Daily Mirror
18-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Beautiful Spanish seaside town named best place for expats to live
A city in the Costa del Sol has been named the top destination for expats considering a move to Spain, highlighting its easy-going lifestyle and excellent weather A new ranking has named this seaside town the best place for expats to settle down in Spain. Beating out cities like Barcelona and Madrid, this destination topped Nomad Capitalist's ranking thanks to its convenient access to the sea and the 'relaxed lifestyle' of residents. Malaga sits in the heart of Spain's popular Costa del Sol, which has been a hub for holidaying Brits for years. The beaches are the biggest draw of the region, with miles and miles of sandy shores - many of which are dog-friendly - and pristine waters. The city centre of Malaga is "lively and a cultural hub" according to Nomad Capitalist, but the if you're looking for something a bit quieter, the villages east of the capital might be a better fit. Villages in the province of Malaga like Frigiliana are tranquil and filled with whitewashed houses in the classic Andalusian style. The weather and superior transport in Malaga compared to other Spanish destinations are other factors that contributed to its top ranking. Though Malaga did experience a freak hail storm this past March, the result of Storm Martinho. While the merits of Malaga are certainly bountiful, it's important to note that housing shortages and the impacts of over-tourism have caused tensions to grow between locals, foreigners and city councillors. In April 2025, mass demonstrations overtook 42 cities across Spain including Malaga to draw attention to soaring rental prices and housing shortages. The clear and defiant message seems to have resonated with the Malaga City Council, which reportedly cancelled plans to build 1,300 tourist homes in the city. The new city strategy will veer away from property sales to non-Spaniards, considering a ' total ban ' altogether. Malaga City Council has already worked to introduce new measures to curb the construction and acquisition of tourist housing after growing animosity from locals in recent years. But after recent protests and the projected plans for a summer of tourist disruption, Mayor De La Torre said 'a global moratorium' is under consideration. Despite the growing tensions, Malaga remains one of Spain's top tourist destinations, attracting around 14 million visitors last year. And while it tops Nomad Capital's list of the best expat destinations in Spain, they emphasise that there is no one single Spanish city ideal for all expats. While Malaga may be best for sunbathers, Barcelona is ideal for foodies and Granada has proved to be an excellent based for winter sports enthusiasts. You can find the full ranking of the Top 11 Spanish expat destinations below. The top 11 Spanish destinations for expats Malaga Sotogrande Madrid Barcelona Seville Valencia San Sebastian Granada Bilbao Ibiza Zaragoza
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Apex Capital buys majority of Mexican-style foods business Juanita's Foods
Private-equity firm Apex Capital has acquired a majority stake in California-based Mexican-style foods business Juanita's Foods. The financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed. The De La Torre family, who founded Juanita's Foods in 1946 in Wilmington, will retain a 'significant' ownership interest and remain involved in the business, a statement announcing the deal read. Juanita's Foods offers a range of shelf-stable Mexican staples including menudo, pozole, hominy, albondigas and nacho cheese. CEO Aaron De La Torre said: 'This partnership strengthens our commitment to expanding Juanita's into new markets and categories. 'Apex Capital brings the expertise and resources needed to support our continued growth while preserving our dedication to our employees and customers. Together, we will drive long-term value and innovation.' Apex Capital is part of Grupo Mariposa-Apex, a Latin American conglomerate, which has interests in food and beverages and operates across 16 countries. Commenting on the deal, Apex Capital managing partner Pedro Palma said Juanita's Foods 'deeply resonates with Hispanic consumers in the US and aligns with our values'. 'This investment is a strong fit with our strategy of nurturing heritage Hispanic brands with high growth potential, guided by a focus on operational excellence and sustainable value creation,' Palma added. Grupo Mariposa has a number of investment vehicles through which it backs companies. In October, another investment arm, Bia Foods, acquired a stake in US-based Badia Spices. Bia Foods was set up by food and beverage conglomerate Grupo Mariposa in 2017. It launched the private investment arm to buy food businesses in the US, Mexico and Latin America and has made a number of acquisitions. The Mexican and, more broadly, Hispanic foods sector in the US has proved attractive to corporate interest in recent quarters. Perhaps most notably, last October also saw PepsiCo buy Mexican-American snacks maker Siete Foods for a fee of $1.2bn. "Apex Capital buys majority of Mexican-style foods business Juanita's Foods" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Epoch Times
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Border Officials Announce Dramatic Drop in Yuma Sector Rescues, Deaths
Illegal immigrant rescues and deaths in the U.S. Border Patrol's Yuma Sector are down nearly 80 percent compared to the same time last year, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials announced on April 25. Yuma Sector Chief Patrol Agent Justin De La Torre told reporters at a press briefing in Yuma, Arizona, that for fiscal year 2025, his agents have so far conducted 19 rescues and recorded one death. That's about a 79 percent drop from the 89 rescues and six deaths agents recorded over the same period last year. The decrease tracks with the overall 'The people who previously were coming here for economic reasons, we believe the message is out that this is not the way to cross, because we've seen such a drastic reduction in the number of people crossing for those reasons,' De La Torre said. He attributed that change to one major policy reversal: the end of the so-called 'catch-and-release' policy. Related Stories 4/23/2025 4/23/2025 'We are no longer releasing people after arresting them into the United States before the adjudication of their immigration hearing,' De La Torre said. As for the decrease in deaths, De La Torre attributed that to CBP's Missing Migrant Program, launched in 2017, which he described as a 'technology-based intervention program that improves the chance of survival for those lost in the desert.' He noted that the Yuma Sector has 24 rescue beacons and 124 rescue signs scattered throughout the desert that display the viewer's coordinates and instructions for calling 911 for help. While the number of illegal crossings has significantly decreased, De La Torre said his agents were still seeing people—mostly single adults with criminal records—attempting to enter unlawfully 'through remote and dangerous terrain.' To those individuals, he issued a warning: 'It's still not worth your life to be smuggled in by the criminal organizations. It's not worth losing your life or being subjected to exploitation to come to the United States.' The press briefing included officials from Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru. Juan Pablo Valdivieso, ambassador and consul general of Ecuador, stressed the importance of transnational cooperation to thwart the criminal organizations that are trafficking people and drugs throughout the Western Hemisphere. Valdivieso noted that just 15 days prior, the Ecuadorian government incinerated 340 tons of cocaine that had been seized over the previous few months. Drug trafficking, he said, brings these criminal organizations 'a lot of money, more than we can imagine.' He added that the same can be said for human trafficking, which also brings 'a lot of suffer[ing] to those people who risk their lives and to their family that do not know what's going on, what happened to them.' Concluding his remarks in Spanish, Valdivieso praised CBP's Missing Migrant Program for the lives it has saved—'lives that are invaluable to their families.'
Local Spain
04-04-2025
- Business
- Local Spain
IN DETAIL: Why are wages in Spain so low?
According to the latest data available from Spain's national stats body, INE, the average annual salary in Spain is €26,948.87. However, there's some nuance to these numbers. There's a big difference between the average, the 'most frequent' salary (the mode average) and the median salary. The data shows that the median wage in Spain was €22,383.11, while the modal salary (the most frequent, with 4.2 percent of total earners) was around €14,586.44, although salaries of €16,495.84 (4.2 percent of the total) and €18,494.32 (4.1 percent) were also common. That is to say, the headline 'average salary' figures aren't really representative of how things are on the ground in Spain. In reality, wages are low and have been for many years. This salary trend is reflected even at the upper end of the job market and economy. Managers and company directors in Spain with decades of experience might earn €50 or €60,000 per year, a salary that would be considered an early-career or even graduate-level salary in countries such as the United States. In recent years, these pressures have been amplified by the cost of living crisis, namely inflation on things like rent and food prices. But salaries in Spain are failing to match these increases. Put simply: Spanish salaries have been low for a long time — why is that? Lower cost of living Some have argued that Spain's lower wages are a result of, or reflection, rather, of the lower cost of living. It's true that the cost of living in Spain is cheaper than in many other countries. However, this has changed, as noted above, particularly in the post-pandemic period, and as economist Ignacio De La Torre has noted, Spanish salaries are still low even with the cost of living taken into account. Compared to Spain, average annual salaries in 2023/4 were 56 percent higher in Germany, 43 percent higher in France and 8 percent higher in Italy, according to OECD figures. "It could be argued that salaries in Spain are lower because of the lower cost of living," De La Torre argues. "This can be calculated by analysing purchasing power parity (PPP), and we can see that the cost of living is 38 percent higher in Germany, 23 percent higher in France and 5 percent higher in Italy. 'From this it can be deduced that the difference in the cost of living is less than the difference in salaries," he says, concluding: "Spanish salaries are low even when adjusted for the differential in the cost of living." For many business owners who are aware of how life in Spain is comparatively cheaper, there's little incentive to offer higher wages. Unemployment Unemployment could also play a role here. Spain has long had one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe. In fact, in recent years it has consistently had the highest among EU countries. Eurostat data shows that unemployment in Spain was 10.4 percent in February 2025, compared to an EU average of 6.1 percent. In some parts of Spain, such as the Andalucia and Extremadura regions, the rate is far higher than this, especially among young people. The theory, then, is that a shortage of jobs and high unemployment makes people more likely to accept any job they can get and, therefore, lower pay. It's one of the reasons that stable, well-paid work is so sought after in Spain, whether it be in the supermarket chain Mercadona or realising the so-called 'Spanish dream' of being a civil servant funcionario. High immigration Immigration could also link to this. Spain has welcomed record numbers of migrants in recent years, with the foreign population now accounting for almost 14 percent of the total population, according to new data from the Funcas think tank's annual ' Dato del año ' report. Looking at the figures, the foreign population in Spain has gone from representing 11.6 percent of the total population in 2022 to 13.8 percent as of late-2024. The largest migrant groups tend to be from countries such as Romania and Morocco or Latin American countries like Colombia and Venezuela. These are often poorer countries where, despite the fact Spanish salaries are low on a European level, for migrants arriving in Spain could be comparatively good. In short, why would employers and business owners hire Spaniards when they can keep costs down and pay immigrants less? Decline of union power The declining power of trade unions in Spain is also worth considering. Of course, the waning power of organised labour is far from a uniquely Spanish phenomenon. The rise of the trade unions in Spain reached its peak after the death of Franco. During the Suárez presidency membership reached 44.6 percent, according to OECD data. Over one in three Spanish workers were still union members in 1981, according to Sociological Research Team (EDIS) data. These figures reflected the influence of unions in the workplace, working for better pay and working conditions. something that has been waning over the years. There are many reasons for this. However, by 2023 only 14 percent of the working population in Spain was affiliated to a trade union, meaning the majority of workers in Spain have lost their ability to easily bargain or go on strike, in essence pitting them individually against the boss or company. It's no coincidence that the Basque Country, the region with the highest average salaries, is also known as the 'strike capital' of Spain.
CBS News
26-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Santa Rosa school board approves plan to return police officers to campuses
Santa Rosa school leaders on Tuesday night approved a program to bring police officers back to campuses. The 4-to-2 vote by the school board in favor of the plan to reinstate school resource officers or SROs comes after a string of violent incidents at several high schools. Just last month, police said a 15-year-old student stabbed a classmate at Elsie Allen High . Other incidents have included students found with guns and knives. Jeremy De La Torre is a parent and school board trustee, who believes bringing back School Resource Officers from the Santa Rosa Police Department is a critical step to address campus safety concerns. "We've had a few instances where students have used a knife on another student while on school grounds, and that's just a very traumatic situation to have for any of our students," said De La Torre. "The greatest resource the SRO brings is building relationships and community." But opponents say there's a lack of trust between certain members of the community and law enforcement. "Some of our students are documented and there's already heightened tension when it comes to their status and safety," said Santa Rosa resident Angel Ortega. He and others are advocating for more intervention staff and outreach specialists, instead of bringing back law enforcement officers. "They're closer to a pair of handcuffs than they are to a medical or mental health professional," said Ortega. It's unclear how the program will be paid for. It will cost an estimated $1.8 million with an additional $400,000 for "equipment startup costs." The city previously paid for the program through a public safety sales tax, but it's been almost five years since the board voted not to have SROs on campus amid protests related to police violence.
