Carmen Gomaro - leading international news and investigative reporter. Worked at various media outlets in Spain, Argentina and Colombia, including Diario de Cádiz, CNN+, Telemadrid and EFE.
The former president of the United States, Donald Trump (2017-2021), woke up this Wednesday with a message of thanks to his followers for the support they have shown him after being charged for allegedly trying to reverse the result of the 2020 presidential election.
True to form, Trump used his social network, Truth, to launch that message, written entirely in capital letters: “THANK YOU ALL!!! I HAVE NEVER HAD SO MUCH SUPPORT ON ANYTHING BEFORE.”
He added that the indictment announced yesterday “has awakened” the world to what he considers “the corruption, the scandal and the failure that have happened in the last three years in the US.”
“USA. IT'S A NATION IN DECLINE, BUT WE'LL MAKE IT GREAT AGAIN, BIGGER THAN EVER. I LOVE YOU ALL!!!” she wrote.
Trump is summoned this Thursday before a judge in Washington for the reading of charges for allegedly trying to reverse the result of those elections, in which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.
The former president will have to appear before Moxila Upadhyaya, of the federal court of the District of Columbia, after being indicted on Tuesday for conspiracy to defraud the United States, to obstruct an official procedure, obstruction and attempt to obstruct an official procedure and conspiracy against rights.
Yesterday's is the third criminal indictment against the former president, who is also accused of bribing porn actress Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence during the 2016 election campaign and for having illegally removed classified White House documents and retaining them. at his mansion in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
In these two cases – the first in New York and the second in Florida – the former president has pleaded not guilty.
What about the American soldier who ran smiling across the militarized border into North Korea? The event, because it is bizarre, concentrates all the ingredients to keep the public expectant. In a normal situation, there would be communication between countries, with clear information. But the situation, with North Korea involved, is never normal.. In the last 15 days there has been little progress. Nothing is really known about Travis King's situation.
In the midst of the increase in tensions between Pyongyang and Washington, a few days ago a UN command had to intervene to liaise with the Kim Jong-un regime.. The international organization sent a request to know the fate of King, who, according to the Pentagon, would have been immediately detained after crossing the border.
The latest news is that North Korea, for the first time, has responded to UN requests for information: they acknowledge that King has crossed into the country and that the incident is under investigation.. This was the brief answer that came last Monday. “I can confirm that the DPRK – the acronym for the country's official name – has responded to the United Nations command, but I don't have any substantive progress to read,” US Brigadier General Patrick Ryder said on Tuesday.
King, 23, who was in South Korea as a US Army cavalry scout, unexpectedly met a group of tourists en route to the DMZ on July 18 and crossed over to the North Korean side.. US officials have reported that just after crossing, King was put in a van and probably transferred to Pyongyang.
After the event, news quickly broke about the many problems surrounding the soldier. He faced two assault charges in South Korea. He reportedly punched another person while in a Seoul nightclub and also kicked and broke the door of a police car. For those incidents, from May 24 to July 10, he served a sentence of forced labor at the Cheonan Correctional Center instead of paying a fine. He was scheduled to return to the US to face disciplinary punishment.
Two US officials told ABC News that King spent about a week under observation at a US military base in South Korea after his release from jail. He completed external processing from the facility, and on July 17, he was escorted by US military officials to Incheon International Airport, into the customs checkpoint. He had to board a flight to return to his country. But the soldier got away.
The headquarters of the Prosecutor's Office has become the epicenter of protests in Guatemala in recent weeks in defense of democracy. The protesters label the Attorney General of the Public Ministry, Consuelo Porras, and the head of the Special Prosecutor's Office Against Impunity (FECI), Rafael Curruchiche, as “coup plotters”.. The people who attend the marches do not forgive Curruchiche for being about to ruin the 653,000 votes that catapulted the Seed Movement to second place in the first round of the Guatemalan elections held on June 25. From his office came the request to the judge of the Seventh Court, Fredy Orellana, to order the suspension of the legal personality of Semilla. The judge accepted the petition and hours before the results of the elections were made official, he gave the Supreme Electoral Tribunal a period of 24 hours to cancel the party, whose candidate, Bernardo Arévalo de León, aspires to the Presidency of the country in the second round. August 20. However, the Constitutional Court brought order and granted an injunction to Semilla, preventing the prosecutor's request from coming true as it went against the Electoral and Political Parties Law.
Specifically, the head of the FECI has launched a case called 'Seed Corruption', since he considers that “there are indications that possibly more than 5,000 citizens were illegally adhered to this political party by forging their handwriting and signature”. It also indicates that “12 deceased persons” were enrolled in the training. The US, the European Union and the Organization of American States have already rejected the intention to jeopardize democracy and the rule of law, although the prosecutor has not been intimidated and his Prosecutor's Office has twice raided the TSE's Registry of Citizens , while on July 23, he searched the headquarters of Semilla from where documentation was taken on its constitution process in 2018.
Since Consuelo Porras was appointed head of the Prosecutor's Office in 2018, some thirty prosecutors, judges and journalists have left the country after being investigated and persecuted, for which they denounce that they are in “exile”.. Among them, the former head of the FECI, Juan Francisco Sandoval, who, at the time of his removal from office in July 2021, was investigating the alleged link between a Russian plot and the president of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei with an alleged full carpet. of money in exchange for being able to control a seaport. One of them, for which a judge has even requested his extradition from the US, is related to the case that affects the president and founder of El Periódico, José Rubén Zamora, who has been in prison for a year and was sentenced to six years imprisonment. jail on June 14 for laundering money and other assets. The FECI appealed the sentence, since it requested against Zamora 40 years in prison for trying to dispose of 300,000 quetzales (37,500 euros) whose origin was illegal.
'EXILE' OR JAIL
Curruchiche and her boss Consuelo Porras have also attacked the former attorney general, Thelma Aldana, who has been in “exile” from the US for more than three years, having five arrest warrants against her.. Aldana uncovered these cases at the hands of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), a UN body that operated in the country from 2007 to 2019 when former President Jimmy Morales decided not to renew his mandate, due to several investigations against him for illegal electoral financing of his party FCN-Nación in the 2015 elections that he won.
Precisely, Curruchiche was directing the Electoral Crimes Prosecutor at that time, which was to investigate the formation of the former president, although the investigations stalled and the process came to nothing.. This caused the then judge of Higher Risk D, Erika Aifán, to denounce him in 2019 for breach of duty, usurpation of functions and abuse of authority.. This did not prevent Consuelo Porras from promoting him to head of the FECI and even Aifán resigned in March 2021 as a judge after 19 years of work and also went into “exile” from the US fleeing “persecutions, threats and harassment”.. The digital newspaper El Faro published that the judge had a complaint in her office that revealed that, in 2009, when the current president of the country, Alejandro Giammattei, aspired to the Presidency, he negotiated with the then Minister of Communications, José Luis Benito, a contribution of 2.6 million dollars for his electoral campaign, in exchange for leaving the official in his post.
Meanwhile, several former prosecutors who worked with Sandoval and the CICIG have ended up in jail.. Among them, the former head of the FECI in the Department of Quetzaltenango, Virginia Laparra, imprisoned since February 2022 for having denounced on four occasions in 2018 the bad practices of a judge whom she accused of leaking information to a lawyer.. The case against the judge was closed and Congress even elected him Rapporteur Against Torture, while she was sentenced in December last year to four years in prison for abuse of authority, despite the fact that the UN has labeled it “arbitrary”. his detention for “exercising his fundamental rights and freedoms”.
Curruchiche, who assumed the leadership of the FECI in August 2021, was included last year in the US Engel List of corrupt and undemocratic actors. The State Department accused him of “obstructing investigations of acts of corruption by disrupting high-profile corruption cases against government officials and filing apparently spurious complaints against FECI prosecutors, private lawyers, and CICIG members.”. Likewise, Consuelo Porras was included in the same List in 2021 and the US accuses her of “corrupt acts that undermine democracy in Guatemala” by dismissing prosecutors who were investigating corruption. Despite this, Giammattei re-elected her for four more years and her term ends in 2026.
Embark on an extraordinary journey through time as we delve into the captivating tale of Tenerife’s history, a saga spanning over 12 million years. Nestled in the heart of the Atlantic Ocean, the Canary Islands have been shaped by magnificent tectonic plate collisions and awe-inspiring volcanic eruptions, giving birth to the stunning landscapes and unique ecosystems that grace the archipelago today.
Photo: Tenerife. Spain.
Among these seven paradisiacal isles, Tenerife reigns as the grandest, spanning over 2034 square kilometers and home to a vibrant population of approximately one million. Its modern capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, majestically resides in the island’s northern reaches.
Photo: Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Spain.
In the shadowy mists of antiquity, the enigmatic Guanches, known as the “Sons of Tenerife,” roamed this mystical land. These ancient island dwellers captivate the imagination with their extraordinary features of tall stature, fair skin, blond hair, and striking blue eyes – a true marvel under the equatorial sun.
Photo: Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Spain.
As whispers of myths and legends intertwine with history, the origins of the Guanches remain veiled in mystery. Some daringly speculate a connection to the fabled inhabitants of Atlantis, igniting the fires of wonder in the hearts of historians and mythologists alike.
Photo: Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Spain.
Despite their primitive lifestyle, the Guanches astounded with their complex social hierarchy, governed by a wise mensée and an esteemed council of elders. Ingeniously skilled in mummifying their departed and preserving fabrics with paint resistant to the relentless equatorial sun, the Guanches left behind remnants of their ingenuity akin to clay stamps found in faraway lands.
Photo: Tenerife. Spain.
Bound by reverence for the celestial luminaries, the sun and stars, the Guanches held Mount Teide in the highest veneration. Spirituality entwined with their daily lives as they worshipped ancestral spirits, venerating Tara and bowing to the supreme deity, Achman. Gofio, a delicacy crafted from corn and barley flour, echoes their culinary heritage in modern-day Canary Islands’ cuisine.
Photo: Tenerife. Spain. Canary Islands.
The echoes of the Guanches’ ritualism resonate in stone pyramids, shrouded in the mists of time, discovered by the esteemed Thor Heyerdahl. These pyramids, reminiscent of structures found in Peru and Mexico, now stand as a testament to the Guanches’ enigmatic practices in the Ethnographic Park of the Pyramids of Guimar.
Photo: Tenerife. Spain. Ethnographic Park of the Pyramids of Guimar.
As the Spanish quest for conquest unfolded in the 15th century, the Guanches valiantly resisted with mere sticks and stones. Benahoro, a formidable leader, fiercely faced the Spanish conquistadors, notably Alonso de Lugo. Alas, the prolonged warfare and devastating epidemics took their toll, ultimately leading to the Guanches’ surrender and enslavement in 1496, forever marking a poignant chapter in Tenerife’s annals.
Photo: Alonso de Lugo. Spain.
Through the passage of time, cultural assimilation with the Spanish ensued, and the Guanches embraced Catholic Christianity, preserving remnants of their culture in traditions, legends, and enigmatic myths.
Journey to the Museum of Tenerife’s History, a treasure trove of cultural heritage and social legacy, where ancient artifacts and century-old maps of the Canary Islands conjure whispers of times long past. Housed within the historic walls of the 1593-built Casa Lercado mansion in La Laguna, the museum beckons intrepid souls to unlock the secrets of the ages.
Photo: Museum of Tenerife’s History. Spain.
As the centuries unfurled, Tenerife’s shores embraced the allure of tourism, with the northern realm flourishing in the late 19th century and the southern reaches flourishing with modernity in the 1970s. Behold the majestic panorama of hotels and shops at Las Americas, a tourism hub adorned with contemporary marvels.
Photo: Las Americas. Spain.
Today, Tenerife’s enchanting history intertwines seamlessly with its vibrant present, where approximately 70% of the island’s locals thrive in the tourism industry. A significant portion engages in the agricultural prowess that secures the Canary Islands’ place as the world’s second-largest exporter of bananas.
Photo: Tenerife. Spain. Canary Islands.
Unravel the enigmatic tapestry of Tenerife, where the ancient echoes coalesce with modern marvels, beckoning travelers from every corner of the globe to bask in its timeless allure.
The Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs of Spain have spent a week with their eyes on Niger. That is how long it has been since the military of the presidential government provoked a coup against the president, accusing him of maneuvering so that France would enter what was his former colony.. Since then, both the Operations Command (MAOPS) and the Ministry led by José Manuel Albares have been working against the clock to organize the departure of the 70 Spaniards in Niger.
The situation is complicated, since although the airspace is closed, yesterday commercial flights flew over the country without getting any to land. Now the governments seek agreements with the Nigerien coup leaders to carry out the evacuation of their citizens.
Defense informed early in the afternoon of this Tuesday that the Government was working on the evacuation by air of these citizens. Also that for several days the heads of the Spanish Embassy in Niger have made available to its citizens an email and an emergency telephone number to coordinate this evacuation operation. Thus, both the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs work from the Operations Command in a coordinated manner to successfully extract those who are trapped in the African country.
At the close of this edition, contacts were continuing, both from Spain with the Nigerien authorities and among the European countries that need to coordinate the evacuation of their citizens. France, Germany and Italy announced publicly and at the same time as Spain that they were proceeding to evacuate their citizens, since all countries have personnel on the ground.
But it is the French who have the most compatriots in Niger, some 600, and those who are most in danger, since the anger of the coup plotters has focused mainly on France.. In fact, the military tried to gain access to that Embassy and even ripped off the entrance plate. Hence, Macron's Executive yesterday organized an inter-ministerial meeting with Foreign and Defense personnel to evacuate its citizens as quickly as possible.
From the Élysée it was decided not to use the A400 plane, the most suitable for this type of operations, and to opt for smaller aircraft and a message was sent to the citizens of the country: “Given the deterioration of the security situation in Niger, and taking advantage of the relative calm in Niamey, an evacuation operation by air from Niamey is being prepared”, as published by Le Figaro. At three in the afternoon, an A330 from its Air Force landed in the capital with a capacity for 268 passengers.
Without minutes for Ousmane Dembélé with a foot and a half outside the team, Barcelona beat Milan 0-1 on Tuesday in their last friendly of the pre-season tour in the United States thanks to a great goal from Ansu Fati for the entire squad.
Dembélé, who is negotiating his transfer to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), was at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas but Xavi Hernández left him out of the squad in a clear gesture that the Frenchman may have his hours counted in the Blaugrana squad .
Dembélé did participate in the two previous friendlies: he played the second half in the 5-3 defeat against Arsenal and scored a goal as a starter in the 3-0 win against Real Madrid.
With the unknown about his future, Barcelona, superior to a poor Milan, had at least the outstanding performance of his wingers tonight, with a very active and dangerous Raphinha in the first half, with a decisive Ansu Fati and with a lot of impudence in the second and also with very good minutes from Ez Abde and Lamine Yamal.
With Ronald Araújo wearing the captain's armband for the first time and with a discreet entrance at the Allegiant Stadium (38,986 fans in a venue with a capacity of 65,000), the blaugrana entered the match well, especially thanks to Raphinha.
Called to be key in Barcelona if Dembélé finally packs his bags, the Brazilian was a constant nuisance on the wing for Theo Hernández, unable to stop him in the first half.
Raphinha's first run down the left wing ended with the attacker on the ground due to an elbow from Fikayo Tomori but the referee did not award a penalty.
Araújo also came close to scoring from a corner, although Barcelona's best chance in a solid start was double when Jules Koundé smashed a ball off the post, after a poor clearance from Christian Pulisic, and Ferran Torres was also unable to take advantage of the rebound.
Milan started on the wrong foot but gradually improved. Thus, the red-and-blacks approached the rival area in minute 18 with a good triangulation, but Tijjani Reijnders's heeled shot was stopped by Iñaki Peña.
Tomori also had in his hands the first for Milan in a header after a corner in which the culé defense fell asleep.
Raphinha, who last year scored a great goal at the Allegiant Stadium in the classic against Real Madrid (1-0 for Barcelona), kept insisting over and over again and caressed the goal with a left foot that did not end up in the net either.
In the same way, Ez Abde stood out in the first half with good contributions from the Barca wingers.
However, Barcelona lost steam on the way to half-time and the match entered an apathetic phase, so much so that in the last stretch only a run by Rafael Leão beating Koundé in speed without being able to score woke up the fans a little.
Ansu Fati claims
The entry of Ansu Fati, who would end up being chosen MVP of the match, and Alejandro Balde at halftime revived Barcelona.
Leão was about to sign a great goal for Milan with a shot that the squad was looking for but the one who found it was Ansu Fati with a splendid goal from the inside peak of the area after cutting inside.
The left wing of Barcelona carburized wonderfully with the Balde-Fati society at the top of benefits. From that side, with a cross from Lewandowski, the second came with a header from Araújo but the goal was canceled for offside.
Only Leão, clearly the best in Milan, put the Italian team in danger and the Portuguese served a 'death pass' that Reijnders wasted.
At Barcelona, with many chances to get more goals in the second half, Lamine Yamal also stood out in the second half, leaving samples of spiciness and depth on the right wing.
Data sheet
Milan: Maignan; Florenzi, Thiaw, Tomori, Theo Hernandez; Krunic, Loftus-Cheek, Reijnders; Pulisic, Giroud, Rafael Leão.
The Barcelona coach, Xavi Hernández, acknowledged this Tuesday that Ousmane Dembélé has an offer from PSG with which the Catalan club cannot compete.
“Ousmane's issue is simple: he came with a proposal from Paris, who wanted to leave, who has spoken with Luis Enrique and the people of Paris and who has a proposal that we cannot match,” he said at a press conference after Barcelona's 0-1 victory against Milan in a friendly in Las Vegas.
The coach culé also said that he was “disappointed” with the departure of Dembélé. The Frenchman was left out of the squad in this last friendly in the US. and he was one more spectator of the great goal with which Ansu Fati gave the win to the culé.
Dembélé, whose hours seem to be counted at Barcelona, had participated in the two previous friendlies: he played the second half in the 5-3 defeat against Arsenal and scored a goal as a starter in the 3-3 win against Real Madrid. 0.
“I asked him why, the reason…. He didn't know how to tell me really, but it's clear that it's his, personal issue,” said Xavi, who did thank Dembélé for being “clear” with his preferences and intentions.
Xavi said that he was aware of the conditions of the attacker's clause and that he was contemplating that scenario in which he could leave. “I saw him so happy that I did not expect it,” admitted Xavi, who stressed that “life goes on” and that they cannot retain players who do not want to play for Barcelona
The coach was also blunt, once again, about the need for the club to incorporate new signings. Now we have to reinforce. I already said it in the last game. Ousmane's loss weakens us (…). But if Ousmane had stayed, we would also have to reinforce ourselves,” he explained.. “What we have is very good (at the extremes), I'm happy, but we have to strengthen ourselves,” he added.
Apart from the 'Dembélé case', Xavi was very satisfied with the victory against Milan to close the pre-season tour of the US. and he also spoke about Gavi, who returns from this tour without having been able to play for a minute due to physical problems.
In this sense, Xavi said that Gavi has back problems, that they have chosen to reserve him for the Joan Gamper Trophy and that, in any case, he will be a “very important” player for this season.
Gigi Buffon, the man who has dodged everything and everyone, from Zidane's blows in the World Cup final to the depression he suffered in the early 2000s, surrenders to time and advances his retirement.
The official announcement is missing, but the decision has already been made: at the age of 45 he will stop being one of the best goalkeepers in history, perhaps for many the greatest of all time. Silvano Martina, his achiever and, above all, his friend, often said of him that he has an innate gift for positioning.
Buffon still had a year left on his contract with Parma. As in Hollywood movies, everything ends where it began, at Parma, 28 years ago, with that exciting debut in the form of a saga: Parma-Milan 0-0, on November 19, 1995.
In between, ten Scudetti (plus one Serie B championship), 7 Supercoppe di Lega and 5 Coppa Italia with Juve -to which must be added another Coppa Italia won with Parma in 1998-99-. He had courage and generosity both on the pitch, with the relegation to Serie B, for example, and off it, where he made his most personal confessions in Roberto Perrone's excellent book: “I fell into depression, a psychologist treated me”, story.
Controversy also surrounded his life on several occasions, both on the pitch and off it.. For the memory there will be phrases that he said before the microphone (such as that “two wounded are better than one dead”), but he always recognized his mistakes. “All the misadventures I have had, some consciously sought, I have always paid for,” he once said..
His mother is from Tuscany, and his father is from Friuli, a unique mix. From her he inherited the ability to understand and know how to downplay situations; and from him, tenacity and courage.
“We have not been up to the task, but if there is someone responsible, it is me”. With these words the Spanish coach, Jorge Vilda, intoned the mea culpa after the defeat this Monday against Japan (4-0). This win was the worst result for the coach since he has been in charge of the team. Perhaps his mistake was not changing anything, maintaining a system he saw that it was not working for him. It was the great signal, but not the only one.
The players also accepted their mistakes as soon as the match was over. Four kickbacks were enough to prove the lack of solidity of the team. Misa Rodríguez, the starting goalkeeper, who until yesterday had managed to keep a clean sheet, acknowledged that “we knew what we were up against, but we did not expect such a result. We have needed to shoot, face more, it has not been our party. Now that we have time to improve, work, analyze what we have failed in”. His teammate Aitana Bonmatí, who had completed 50 caps as an international, added: “The result says it all, it was not our best match. Japan has taken advantage of the spaces to kill us against. Every counterattack has been a goal. We apologize, we are not proud of what we have done on the pitch.”. After the wins against Costa Rica and Zambia, after this game the image of the Spanish team is touched. It is evident that there is still a lot to correct and work on.
a weak defense
A weak defense was seen on the field of play, with an Irene Paredes who until now had acted as a lock, but yesterday it seemed that nerves had betrayed. His teammate Rocío Gálvez, who made her debut taking the place of Ivana Andrés, who was low due to discomfort, it was noted that the game was weighing on her. There was also a lack of a leader, someone to take the reins and join the lines to avoid disaster, but no one appeared.. They only shot twice on goal in the whole game, once in each half, and it's not like Japan had many more chances, but it was more effective.. Tere Abelleira spoke about these data and the image of the team, saying: “Five days ago we weren't so good and now we are not so bad.. It may be a point to correct errors and that it does not happen to us again. Luckily little changes, because we will be in the round of 16. There is a lot to learn, a lot to improve and we are going to go after Switzerland with everything”.
Qualified despite defeat
The damages are minor, since the classification was already achieved. A draw would have been enough for Spain to finish as the group leader and hypothetically have more affordable crosses.
Now Switzerland awaits this Saturday (7:00, La 1), which has been first in group A. Perhaps it would have been worse to face off against Norway, a team that is more complicated on paper. It's time to digest this defeat and prepare for these round of 16. However, even if they go out for all the doubts, they are still in the air, and it is that Spain still does not seem prepared to face the big teams. This could be a problem if the pass to the quarterfinals is achieved, since the rival would foreseeably be the United States, a team that already eliminated Spain in the last World Cup.
Companies are looking cautiously at the second part of 2023, since although inflation has moderated to around 2% and employment is at record figures, price rises are expected to accelerate again and economic activity to start to show symptoms of exhaustion -especially consumption, due to the impact of interest rate rises on the family pocket-, hence only 47% of medium-sized companies trust that their profits will increase from here to end of the year.
They are somewhat more optimistic with respect to their income, since 55% believe that they will increase, but this increase in turnover will not always translate into an increase in profits due to what the costs entail, according to the report 'Pulse of the median Spanish company' relating to the first half of 2023, prepared by the consultant Grant Thornton and to which EL MUNDO has had access.
The expectations are prudent, although they do reflect more optimism than companies had in the second half of 2022, when inflation was four times the current rate and the shadow of recession was hovering over the economy. At that time, only 37% of companies believed that their profits would improve this year, 10 points less than now. These fears, however, have not materialized and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has continued to grow this year despite the uncertainties: 0.5% from January to March and 0.4% from April to June.
“The improvement in the economic situation driven by the decline in inflation and energy costs has allowed almost all the indicators related to the forecast of income, optimism, profits, investments or employment to present better results in this wave,” they explain. the authors of the study.
Even so, the improvement does not imply that there is general optimism throughout the business fabric. Only 42% of the 400 medium-sized companies (between 50 and 500 employees) surveyed in Spain to carry out the study plan to increase their investments in the remainder of the year and, of these, the majority will do so through the purchase of premises or new construction properties, although the willingness to invest in R&D is also growing.
As in the rest of the variables, only four out of ten companies surveyed (42%) intend to continue increasing the workforce, while only 24% plan to raise their employees' salaries between now and the end of the year.
Risks for exporters
The only aspect in which the country's medium-sized companies are more pessimistic than in 2022 is in foreign trade. The weakness of the European economy and of our main trading partners, such as Germany, which has managed to emerge from the technical recession in this quarter but with growth of 0%, has caused foreign trade to slow down GDP already in the period from April to June.
The manufacturing industry is one of the sectors that has noticed this slowdown the most, with a collapse in its orders this month and a destruction of jobs, and all the companies that sell abroad are beginning to fear that there will be a slowdown in sales.. According to this study, only 38% of the companies that export goods abroad believe that their sales will increase in the coming months, while the remaining 62% expect them to remain unchanged or, more likely, to decrease.
“Although at a European level this expectation does not increase by staying flat, the three-point drop in our country is a discordant note in a Pulse of the Medium-sized Company optimistic with respect to the Spanish situation”, the authors of the report point out, since the other European companies have not increased their pessimism regarding their exports.
