Latest news with #deLeón
Daily Mirror
25-04-2025
- Daily Mirror
Brits 'happy not to visit' as Canary Islands overhauls tourism rules
The Canary Islands are a popular destination for British holidaymakers and bookings remain strong despite planned protests that will target tourism hotspots this season Some Brits have pledged to stay away from the Canary Islands ahead of mass protests and a radical overhaul of tourism laws. In recent years there have been growing demonstrations across Spain, with locals marching against the influx of tourists in the Canary Islands in particular. The island chain is only growing in popularity, despite many protests led by locals who say the Canaries cannot cope. In 2024, the Canary Islands saw a record 17.9 million visitors, a combination of international and domestic tourists. This included 15.5 million international tourists, a 10% increase from the previous year, and around 1.8 million domestic tourists from mainland Spain. This year activists - who argue that house prices are too high, roads too busy and the way of life being eroded by mass-tourism - have pledged to target popular tourist hotspots, disrupt public events and "confront political leaders". A fresh campaign is set to commence from May 18. "From now on, we will take our fight to the very spaces where their predatory model is perpetuated," declared activist group Canarias tiene un límite (The Canaries Have a Limit). "We will boycott public events, confront political leaders during their appearances and occupy symbolic tourist spaces to make it clear that we will not stop until real change is achieved. The Canary Islands can no longer be a postcard backdrop for the enjoyment of a privileged few." In a separate warning, the group said: "This cry, which reflects the feelings of a people tired of being ignored and mistreated, will be the beginning of a new stage of struggle: firmer, more direct, more uncomfortable for those who refuse to listen to us and take real measures." The backlash follows a 170,000-strong hotel and restaurant workers' strike across the islands just days ago. Locals criticised low wages and poor working conditions, despite the booming nature of the holiday industry. The Canary Islands local government has announced plans to tackle issues at the heart of the protests. Although it has not gone into specifics, Jessica de León, the Canary Islands' Minister of Tourism and Employment, has said the reforms would be sweeping. 'The new regulation must align with today's social and environmental realities, correcting outdated elements and integrating changes from national and regional rulings, including Constitutional Court decisions,' she said. A new legal framework is expected to roll out over the coming months. It will set tougher planning and building standards, tighten rules on holiday rentals, and introduce the regulation for campsites and outdoor tourism. This week de León said she was "completely in agreement" with a speech made by an opposition politician that the growing popularity of Morocco as a tourist destination was a threat to the Canaries. "We do not have 18 million tourists on the payroll, we have to earn every tourist that comes to the Canary Islands by hard work, we have built a leading tourism industry," de León said. She acknowledged that Morocco "is a rising competitor" and that, in addition, it is making an "obvious and notable increase in investment in tourism" with the roadmap set on the 2030 World Cup . Despite the protests that hit the islands last year and those which are planned for the months ahead, booking figures show that tourists are still keen to visit the Canaries. However, some individuals have told the Mirror that they are planning to stay away. One reader told us: "I am happy not to visit. Whilst I can understand their frustrations this will end up backfiring on the protesters. No tourists equals no jobs. Plenty of other places to visit." Another added: "I am perplexed when they say 'don't come anymore'. Who are 'they'? If people stop going to the Canaries, their whole economy will collapse. I really don't get how these places can survive without visitors?" Others expressed sympathy for the working people in the Canaries who have to put up with issues that stem from overtourism. One reader explained: "We are going to Lanzarote again next week. We love it there! However, I think the government licensing laws for holiday accommodation does not consider local people. "We live in Cornwall and have a similar problem. Local people can't afford to buy homes here due to second home owners and holiday let companies. Seasonal tourism is good for the economy, but the winter is dead so locals jobs are scarce. Whereas the Canaries can have all year round business. Us Brits can't guarantee sunshine even in the summer and love to escape to the places that can, just for a short while." Another sympathetic Brit added: "You have to feel some sympathy with the Islanders, they need tourism, but they need the right kind of tourism. All-inclusives kill the local economy, however at the same time they need to manage the costs charged and the amount of tourists that can be on the island at the same time."
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Past ACLU president in Miami who fought for Elián's rights, First Amendment, dies at 63
John de León, a civil rights crusader and former Miami-Dade assistant public defender who rose to the top of the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and who once protested outside the New York Times over the media's use of the term 'Illegal immigrant,' died last week after a lengthy battle with a debilitating illness. De León, who co-founded the Miami law office of Chavez & de León with the son of legendary labor rights activist Cesar Chavez, was recognized for his passionate work for immigrant rights and social justice. Even as a child, he had an affinity for wayward animals and those targeted by bullies, his sister said. He died April 10 at his Miami home from complications from Parkinson's Syndrome, his spouse at his side. de León was 63. 'He had a tremendous amount of sympathy and empathy for people,' said de Leon's sister Lidia Maria de León. 'There was just something in him that he just understood people and helplessness.' The son of Hispanic migrants who fled Fidel Castro's Cuba in 1959, de León's Catholic upbringing led him to Miami's Archbishop Curley-Notre Dame High School. He would later attend the University of Miami and receive a law degree from Georgetown University and a master's from Columbia University in New York City. By 1987, he was working for the Miami-Dade Public Defender's Office. That lasted 14 years. When a short stint in corporate law didn't work out, de León ended up in Bogota, Colombia, working for a USAID-funded project that helped the government with criminal defendants. Most of the next 15 years were spent with the Miami's ACLU— where de León twice served as president alongside legendary Florida ACLU director Howard Simon — and at de León's own law firm. During those years, de León and Simon worked on some of the agency's most significant and groundbreaking cases. They filed a brief with the courts that argued young Cuban rafter Elián Gonzalez had the right to file for asylum, even though his father had the right to the child's custody. The case was the forerunner to U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno's decision to snatch Elián from his cousin's Little Havana home and reunite him with his dad in Cuba. They also worked on a case that forced the city of Miami to allow Cuban salsa band Los Van Van to play in the city despite the opposition of elected leaders. And the ACLU successfully fought the city of Miami's attempt to end the lease of the Cuban Museum of Arts and Culture because it displayed the work of Cuban artists. Simon said de León was instrumental in teaching him the ins and outs of the byzantine world of Cuban politics. And, he said, de León fought fervently to make certain that local government leaders wouldn't recreate the kind of political repression in Miami that Cuban nationals faced at home. 'John's passion was for freedom, freedom to think and speak. We worked together through the many battles with Miami and Miami-Dade officials who censored all things related to Cuba and Castro — but especially speakers, concerts, artists and even museum exhibits,' said Simon. Those fights gained de León recognition. In the early 2000s he was named best promoter of social diversity by Miami New Times. The Miami Herald called him one of the '40 to watch' in the new century and he was cited as a top 100 trial lawyer by the National Trial Lawyers organization. New York Times Latin American and Caribbean reporter Frances Robles was a police reporter with the Miami Herald in the 1990s when she first met de León. They became good friends while both worked in Colombia and they shared a passion for good food and music. 'He was a true defender of human rights who would speak out when someone died in police custody under questionable circumstances. I could always count on him for wise and sharp legal analysis,' said Robles. de León spent most of past decade dealing with issues related to Parkinson's. It often left him weak and unable to speak, which hindered his ability to communicate. Still, his sister said, up until the very end, de León and his husband spent a considerable amount of time each summer at their home in Maine overlooking a scenic river. 'That was his soul place,' she said. 'There was just a lovely spirituality there.' de León is survived by spouse Hector Cadena de León, sister Lidia, brother Leon Mario de León and nieces Jacqueline and Lauren de León. A memorial service open to the public is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. May 3 at St Patrick's Catholic Church in Miami Beach.
Miami Herald
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Past ACLU president in Miami who fought for Elián's rights, First Amendment, dies at 63
John de León, a civil rights crusader and former Miami-Dade assistant public defender who rose to the top of the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and who once protested outside the New York Times over the media's use of the term 'Illegal immigrant,' died last week after a lengthy battle with a debilitating illness. De León, who co-founded the Miami law office of Chavez & de León with the son of legendary labor rights activist Cesar Chavez, was recognized for his passionate work for immigrant rights and social injustice. Even as a child, he had an affinity for wayward animals and those targeted by bullies, his sister said. He died April 10 at his Miami home from complications from Parkinson's Syndrome, his spouse at his side. de León was 63. 'He had a tremendous amount of sympathy and empathy for people,' said de Leon's sister Lidia Marie de León. 'There was just something in him that he just understood people and helplessness.' The son of Hispanic migrants who fled Fidel Castro's Cuba in 1959, de León's Catholic upbringing led him to Miami's Archbishop Curley-Notre Dame High School. He would later attend the University of Miami and receive a law degree from Georgetown University and a master's from Columbia University in New York City. When a short stint in corporate law in the mid 1980s didn't work out, de León ended up in Bogota, Colombia, working for a USAID-funded project that helped the government with criminal defendants. By 1987, he was working for the Miami-Dade Public Defender's Office. That lasted 14 years. Elián Gonzalez case Most of the next 15 years were spent with the Miami's ACLU— where León twice served as president alongside legendary Florida ACLU director Howard Simon — and at León's own law firm. During those years, de León and Simon worked on some of the agency's most significant and groundbreaking cases. They filed a brief with the courts that argued young Cuban rafter Elián Gonzalez had the right to file for asylum, even though his father had the right to the child's custody. The case was the forerunner to U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno's decision to snatch Elián from his cousin's Little Havana home and reunite him with his dad in Cuba. They also worked on a case that forced the city of Miami to allow Cuban salsa band Los Van Van to play in the city despite the opposition of elected leaders. And the ACLU successfully fought the city of Miami's attempt to end the lease of the Cuban Museum of Arts and Culture because it displayed the work of Cuban artists. Simon said de León was instrumental in teaching him the ins and outs of the byzantine world of Cuban politics. And, he said, de León Leon fought fervently to make certain that local government leaders wouldn't recreate the kind of political repression in Miami that Cuban nationals faced at home. 'John's passion was for freedom, freedom to think and speak. We worked together through the many battles with Miami and Miami-Dade officials who censored all things related to Cuba and Castro — but especially speakers, concerts, artists and even museum exhibits,' said Simon. Accolades for his legal work Those fights gained de León recognition. In the early 2000s he was named best promoter of social diversity by Miami New Times. The Miami Herald called him one of the '40 to watch' in the new century and he was cited as a top 100 trial lawyer by the National Trial Lawyers organization. New York Times Latin American and Caribbean reporter Frances Robles was a police reporter with the Miami Herald in the 1990s when she first met de León. They became good friends while both worked in Colombia and they shared a passion for good food and music. 'He was a true defender of human rights who would speak out when someone died in police custody under questionable circumstances. I could always count on him for wise and sharp legal analysis,' said Robles. de León spent most of past decade dealing with issues related to Parkinson's. It often left him weak and unable to speak, which hindered his ability to communicate. Still, his sister said, up until the very end, de León and his husband spent a considerable amount of time each summer at their home in Maine overlooking a scenic river. 'That was his soul place,' she said. 'There was just a lovely spirituality there.' de León is survived by spouse Hector Cadena de León, sister Lidia, brother Leon Mario de León and nieces Jacqueline and Lauaren de León. A memorial service open to the public is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. May 3 at St Patrick's Catholic Church in Miami Beach.
