On 12th December, 1930, there was a military uprising in Jaca, a town in the Aragonese Pyrenees, against the then monarchic government in Spain. The government, called the dictablanda ("soft dictatorship") had been preceded by the proto-fascist dictatorship of Miguel Primo de Rivera.

A few months before the uprising, in August of that same year, most political parties met in Donostia to agree on a plan to establish the Second Spanish Republic. In October, the PSOE (Socialist Party) and UGT (Socialist union) also agree to go on strike whenever the uprising would happen.

Fermín Galán, a captain who had previously been in prison for organizing an uprising against the Primo de Rivera government, led the revolutionary committee to carry out the uprising. They also contacted revolutionaries in Uesca and Zaragoza, such as Ramón Acín. After much deliberation, they agreed on the 15th December as the date. Despite this, Galán received information that the government had some type of plans. That, along with the impending snow that could close the mountain passes, which would prevent them from accessing Uesca, made Galán announce to the committee that they would do the uprising on the 12th instead.

At 5am on the 12th December, the jacetanian garrison occupied the phone and telegraphs office, post office, and train station, and proclaims the second republic in the Town Hall. The officials in other parts of the country don't make a move, wanting to see how things played out, and the columns, led by Ángel García, set to travel to Uesca are delayed until the afternoon. The next day the arrive to the outskirts of Uesca, at the Cillas sanctuary, where they clash with the government military that had come from Zaragoza. There, the uprising military is defeated.

Other towns declare a general strike and set up revolutionary committees to try to coordinate efforts, but the government military suppresses all movements.

On the 14th, Fermín Galán and Ángel García are subjected to a court martial, and are condemned to death and shot that same day. Other collaborators are sentenced to life in prison for cooperating. The Second Republic was established on 14th April of the next year, and the prisoners, among others, were pardoned and freed, while Galán and García were declared "martyrs of the Republic".

Currently, Galán and García are buried in the Uesca cemetery, and their tombs are declared of cultural interest. A few years ago, the Círculo Republicano de Huesca (Uesca Republican Group) recovered the original plaque in memory of the two captains, gifted by the Terrassa government:

Miguel Gracia, the DPH president, has sent a letter to the Aragonese vicepresident urging him to stop the destruction of the Pyreneean valley, and for the 26.4 million euros to be better spent somewhere else. On top of that, the letter emphasises and questions the project's ability to follow the deadlines: 50% finished by 31st December 2024, and completely finished by 2026.

The 'sustainable' megaproject of Aragon: 4.3 km of cable car in a mountain valley on its way to protection

A great sustainable project for some. An environmental disaster and investment destined for failure for others. The already old desire for Aragon to have the biggest skiable domain in Spain, and one of the biggest in the world, entails the construction of a cable car of 4.3 km (2.6 miles) through a mountain valley on its way to being a protected natural space. That, alongside the non-stop warnings on the progressive reduction in the amount of snowfall, awakens many environmental doubts around the project.

The obstacles, however, don't stop the determination of the government (centre-left and right wing), who are clinging to the hope of internationalizing snow tourism in Aragon and compete with the big alpine stations. They also base this on the fact that this sector makes up 7% of Aragon's GDP and employs arounds 14000 people.

On this basis, on the 25th of January, the Aragonese Consejo de Gobierno gave the green light to the colaboration agreement ratified by the autonomic executive, the Diputación Provincial de Huesca (DPH), Aramón (group collectively owned by the Aragonese Government and Ibercaja by 50% each, and who controls most of the ski stations in the region), Formigal, and the Valle de Astún ski station. The final agreement will be signed on the 14th of February, and the DPH will be the one to develop the investment.

Podemos and Chunta Aragonesista (who form part of the 4 governing parties of Aragon, alongside PSOE and Partido Aragonés- PAR) have shown opposition to this agreement.

More than 26 million euros of the European funds to build the biggest skiable domain in Spain

The project consists of the union between the Tena and Aragón valleys, which entails, on one side, the union between the Astún and Formigal ski stations, and on the other, the union between Astún and Candanchú. In total, around 300 km of snow, the total amount of the current capacity, since in theory, they assure that no new ski stations will be built. It would become the 10th biggest skiable domain in the world and would lead the ranking in Spain

It's not a novel objective. In 2013, with PP ["Popular Party", the right-wing party] and PAR in the government coalition, the administrative process for the Declaración de Interés General [General Interest Declaration] project was started.

After years of slumber, it's now under way thanks to the concession of 33.7 millions of euros to the Aragonese government for the development of five Sustainable Touristic Plans. They are wholly financed by the Next Generation EU funds of the Plan for Recovery, Transformation and Resilience. The help requisites require that the project be finished by 2025.

From the total amount, the biggest cut will be given to this union of ski stations (26.4 million euros). And it's calculated that 8 million more will be given from the autonimical government's pockets.

The protection of Canal Roya

Certainly, the biggest controversy around the project is the 4.3 km cable car which will cross the Canal Roya valley to join Astún and Formigal. It will take 14 minutes to cross and it will transport 2400 people each hour.

The controversy arose because in 2006 (with PSOE [socialist centre-left] and PAR in the government) decreed the start of the approval procedure for a Natural Resources Order Plan in the Aragon and Tena valleys, which would entail, among others, Canal Roya.

This planning [...] textually states: "During the processing of this plan, no acts that supose an appreciable transformation of the biological and physical reality will be allowed to be carried out, that could make it impossible or significantly hinder the achievements of its objectives."

Furthermore, it adds that "until the final approval of the Natural Resources Order Plan, no authorizations, licenses or concessions will be able to be carried out, without a favorable report from the Environmental Department"

The development of the Natural Resources Order Plan requires the creation of a consultive council. And that was what happened. In that same legislature and the next (2007-2011, with PSOE and PAR once again), the project (slowly) continued, with public involvement.

[...]

Ecologist groups think that the Government will have to return the funds and will ask Brussels for help accelerating its protection.

The five national ecologist organizations (Amigos de la Tierra, Ecologistas en Acción, Greenpeace, SEO/BirdLife and WWF) have positioned themselves completely against the station union. In the coming months they will try to put pressure in Brussels so the development of the Natural Resources Order Plan is sped up, and that way avoid that the creation of this skiable domain.

[...]

They uphold that "it's disguised as sustainable tourism, but it doesn't comply with the principle of 'Do No Significant Harm'. This is a condition established by the EU for European fund allocation, that makes people justify that the financed projects won't negatively impact any of the six environmental objectives defined by the EU"

Is there anything left for the snow business?

Apart from the six already mentioned, which includes the creation of the bigger skiable domain, Aragon will manage a few other Sustainable Tourism Plans from 2021. In total, around ten touristic projects which entail over 63 million euros. Of those, 53 million (over 84%) will go to snow tourism.

A complete bet on this sector, which seems to clash with the scientific warnings of the increasing snow scarcity.

[...]

This is what ecologist organizations are clinging to. In the statement already mentioned they also state that the union of stations "should not be carried out due to its negative environmental impact. But also because it would continue an unsustainable development model. A bet that doesn't generate quality work positions and that is destined to dissapear due to meteorological conditions caused by climate change"

In this same line, Paco Iturbe, representative of the Plataforma en Defensa de las Montañas de Aragón [Platform for the Defense of the Mountains of Aragon], explains that the Pyreenean valley of Canal Roya is "a sanctuary" because of its flora and fauna: "It's onoe of the only places in the Pyrenees which is unspoiled. Destroying it is like losing one of the identity marks of Aragon. On top of that, for nothing, just for an activity which will be unsustainable in 10 or 20 years tops.

[...]

Canal Roya valley, Chacetania

via Wikimedia Commons.

The village of Ansó, in Val d’Ansó (Uesca)