All posts by Carmen Gomaro

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.

A third handball Champions to save himself from Joan Laporta's cuts

“At least 15% less”, “at least 15% less”. It is the mantra of Barcelona with its sections: next year, you have to spend less, “at least 15% less”. And that in handball is a lot. The most successful Barça in recent times, the one that has won two consecutive Champions League, faces another Final Four in Cologne this weekend under the threat of cuts from Joan Laporta's Board of Directors.

With Magdeburg as their rival in the semifinals (Saturday, 3:15 p.m., DAZN) and PSG and Kielce in the other part of the draw, from within the team they propose another success, the third consecutive title, as the only antidote to the sales in the section. “If we win, we will have to keep the project,” they say, although they admit that in the coming years it will be difficult to continue fighting against the best teams in Europe..

Because? Because the loss of key players has already begun and it seems that it will go further. As soon as the Final Four is over, the club will see its second reference fly, the French pivot Ludovic Fàbregas, a man who was supposed to be a Barça player forever. From a Catalan family, born and raised in Banyuls-sur-Mer, 10 kilometers from the border, the Frenchman has raised a family in Barcelona, but this summer he will go to Veszprem after failing to reach a renewal agreement. A blow to the team. which are actually two.

And it is that to replace him, the coach, Carlos Ortega, had requested the signing of Artsen Karalek and those responsible for the section had reached an agreement with him and his club, Kielce, but the Board of Directors knocked him down at the last minute. The reason: “At least 15% less” budget. And, for this reason, to fill the void left by Fàbregas next year, two young Spaniards will arrive, Javi Rodríguez and Jaime Gallego, from Logroño and Torrelavega, which will cost much less.

The future of Pérez de Vargas

In general figures, the objective is to reduce the budget to just over seven million euros and thus position itself in a second continental line. Far above would be PSG and Kiel, which exceed 12 million, something above would be other German and French teams and some more Central European teams like Veszprém, but those responsible for Barcelona consider that even so it will be possible to compete. With income from the section that barely exceeds 1.5 million, the entity's accounts do not allow for more. The idea is that the team is based on its two leaders, the winger Dika Mem and the goalkeeper Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas, and an excellent defense, but that is also in danger.

According to 'Relevo' and EL MUNDO has been able to confirm, Pérez de Vargas has an offer from Kiel and his continuity is not certain. The German club wants the Spanish goalkeeper as a substitute for Niklas Landin -who returns to his native Denmark, to Aalborg- and he has plenty of wallet to convince him. Pérez de Vargas has also given some prominence to his substitute, Emil Nielsen, and it could be time for him to leave.

If that finally takes place, the decommissioning will be complete.. With other protagonists, such as the center-back Luka Cindric, with the club's doors open for months, a step back would be inevitable. Due to the latest movements, such as the signing of center-back Pol Valera from Granollers, Barcelona can try to stay in the European elite thanks to Spanish talent, the best players from the rest of the teams in the Asobal League, but it remains to be seen if that is enough. .

For the moment, the only solution seems to continue winning the Champions League and thus convince Joan Laporta's Board of Directors that it is worth the effort. After all, in all of history, only one team has celebrated three consecutive European titles and it was Barça itself, in that triumphant streak of the Dream Team from 1996 to 2000.. History should have value when doing numbers. Although for the moment, before the Final Four this weekend, these are cold and continue to set an objective: “At least 15% less.”

A devastating last quarter lifts Spain to victory against Montenegro

The emergence of María Conde (20 points, PIR of 22) was crucial for Spain to overcome a Montenegro team that punished them in the third quarter and ended up seeing Miguel Martínez Méndez's players practically run over them in the last.

The Spanish signed a brilliant last ten minutes in attack and defense to win a devastating 26-6 partial and take a 78-57 victory that allows them to aspire to the leadership of the group if they prevail over Greece and Montenegro defeat Latvia this Sunday.

Spain jumped onto the parquet very psyched. Very soon, he showed that his outside shot would be one of the keys to fight for the victory. In addition to helping them win the Montenegrin team 19-14 at the end of the first period, with Alba Torrens shining in this facet of the game, it also helped them hit what seemed like a blow on the table in the second.

In this case, from the hand of a lethal María Conde in the triples and that, with 15 points, would already be the best of the first part of a duel that reached the break with a 42-29 score for the team he leads Miguel Martinez Mendez.

At the restart, however, it was Montenegro who seemed like a gale. With a 0-11, and also taking advantage of Spain's initial lack of success in defense and attack, they threatened to turn things around. Two new triples, by Alba Torrens and Leonor Rodríguez, would help slow down the bleeding a bit and open a slight gap (50-44), although the Montenegrins would manage to reach the last quarter one point behind (52-51)..

The work in the recovery of Laura Gil and the reappearance of the best version of María Conde, at this point, would be crucial for the Spaniards to leave by 21 points in the light with a devastating 26-6 partial that, in the end , would help them to a final victory by 78-57 and to the revenge of the debut.

A devastating last quarter lifts Spain to victory against Montenegro

The emergence of María Conde (20 points, PIR of 22) was crucial for Spain to overcome a Montenegro team that punished them in the third quarter and ended up seeing Miguel Martínez Méndez's players practically run over them in the last.

The Spanish signed a brilliant last ten minutes in attack and defense to win a devastating 26-6 partial and take a 78-57 victory that allows them to aspire to the leadership of the group if they prevail over Greece and Montenegro defeat Latvia this Sunday.

Spain jumped onto the parquet very psyched. Very soon, he showed that his outside shot would be one of the keys to fight for the victory. In addition to helping them win the Montenegrin team 19-14 at the end of the first period, with Alba Torrens shining in this facet of the game, it also helped them hit what seemed like a blow on the table in the second.

In this case, from the hand of a lethal María Conde in the triples and that, with 15 points, would already be the best of the first part of a duel that reached the break with a 42-29 score for the team he leads Miguel Martinez Mendez.

At the restart, however, it was Montenegro who seemed like a gale. With a 0-11, and also taking advantage of Spain's initial lack of success in defense and attack, they threatened to turn things around. Two new triples, by Alba Torrens and Leonor Rodríguez, would help slow down the bleeding a bit and open a slight gap (50-44), although the Montenegrins would manage to reach the last quarter one point behind (52-51)..

The work in the recovery of Laura Gil and the reappearance of the best version of María Conde, at this point, would be crucial for the Spaniards to leave by 21 points in the light with a devastating 26-6 partial that, in the end , would help them to a final victory by 78-57 and to the revenge of the debut.

'Monchi' joins Unai Emery at Aston Villa

A rampant lion is drawn on the Aston Villa shield. With outstretched claws. Menacing and fierce. Ramón Rodríguez Verdejo 'Monchi' (San Fernando, Cádiz; 1968) is nicknamed the lion and he will spend at least the next season in Birmingham. On the bench of Los Villanos, an old friend: Unai Emery. On the pitch, one of those revalued players that the sports director caught in the French league: the center-back Diego Carlos. Soccer is a kind of reunion. The lions overlap. Clubs pass, but dignity always remains.

Monchi leaves Sevilla through the back door. It is a thankless sport where power devours everything in its path. The differences with José Castro and, above all, with Vice President José María del Nido Junior, have been irreconcilable. The general sports director has come to feel ignored and bypassed in a club in Tenguerengue, lost in internal battles, and where football has been in the background throughout the season. The seventh continental cup, the Europa League won against AS Roma in Budapest, has served to soothe the pain, but not to heal the wound.

The bad planning of the squad in summer, due to interference and economic adjustments, left the sports director very touched. The club flirted with relegation and the man from Cádiz assumed full responsibility. Behind, troubled decisions and not consulted with the sports management, whims, such as the return of Jorge Sampaoli, and a cooling of relations between offices and the pitch that were detrimental to the entity. The dismissal of Lopetegui, contrary to the opinion of Monchi, who asked for more patience and serenity when heading off his project, was the beginning of the end. When everyone thinks they know about soccer, soccer falls into vulgarity; It is the echo in the offices of many clubs.

an awkward ending

The architect of the professionalization and successes of Sevilla FC is leaving. With him at the controls, assumed in the Second Division, in the year 2000, Sevilla won eleven titles. Two Copas del Rey, one Spanish Super Cup, seven Europa Leagues and one European Super Cup. Eindhoven, Glasgow, Turin, Warsaw, Basel, Cologne and Budapest. Nervionenses fans recite the cities by heart. A handful of footballers, many of them complete strangers, who took the Andalusian club to heaven. “Monchi's miracles”, the press repeated, when Baptista, Keita or Rakitic packed their bags, filling the coffers of Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán.

But football has no memory. After some very tough negotiations, after disagreements and half-truths, Monchi leaves, even paying part of the money that Aston Villa must pay to Sevilla for taking their sports director out of pocket.. In principle, the presidency opened the exit door for him, then he backed down and ended up scratching something in the transfer. It has been an uncomfortable, unexpected end and where something has been broken, perhaps forever, in the heart of León, who is living the last hours in the club surrounded by his own, his sports management team, those who were witnesses of their joys and their worries. That Italian adventure was different, in 2017, where he left acclaimed and returned stomping on palms, olive trees and laurel. Here seems to end a cycle. Endings don't always turn into see you soon.

The English team, which finished seventh in the Premier League, will play in the Conference League next season. The wine and light blue will replace the usual white and red. Monchi starts from scratch. There he will not be the leader he is in Nervión, but a worker, an employee who has yet to prove his work. This has been expressed in confidence. He does it hurt, but with enthusiasm for the new challenges. The fans will have to look for him in Gol Norte, in that Sánchez-Pizjuán who has chanted his name so many times. Not all love stories have happy endings. “Time will put things in their place”, almost everyone will think, but dignity and decorum are not listed on Transfermarkt. They are more subtle values. The lion leaves and goes rampant, with its claws open, and its gaze forward. And proud of his work, because humility is not incompatible with success. And whoever doubts, will think, can take a walk through the trophy room, because in those showcases everything is perfectly explained.

2,700 mobile phones seized in Spanish prisons, 21% more than last year

Prison officials have intervened a total of 2,733 cell phones in Spanish prisons, which represents an increase of 21% compared to the seizures made in 2021.

The unions have explained that mobile phones are a prohibited object inside prisons to prevent the continuation of the crime, among others, organized gangs or gender violence.. This makes them highly valued items among the prisoners, generating a black market with the regimental problems that this generates.

From Acaip UGT they have highlighted the work carried out by prison public employees to prevent the illegal trade of these prohibited elements. “Prison workers spend great efforts in the confiscation of these objects, most of which are easily camouflaged due to their small size and escape metal detectors due to their plastic components,” they warned.

Telephones can be found in the most unexpected places, so a thorough search of the modules is necessary, which requires the necessary personnel and specialized training.

In this regard, from Acaip-UGT they have recalled that there are more than 3,000 vacancies for prison staff nationwide. “In addition, the list of jobs in the centers does not correspond to their real needs, thus it is almost impossible to carry out all the functions entrusted to each of the prison public employees,” they have indicated.

The way in which these terminals are introduced is very varied, but in recent years the use of drones has been detected to introduce large smartphones.

“This represents a significant reduction in the security of penitentiary establishments, since the presence of prohibited objects seriously impairs the normal functioning of a prison, where orderly coexistence must prevail in order to meet the objective of re-education and reintegration,” They have said.

From Acaip-UGT they have insisted on the “need” to provide sufficient material and human resources to, on the one hand, prevent their entry and, on the other, carry out control inside.

Thus, they have demanded the correct functioning of the inhibitors of the prisons and that they adapt to the new technologies. “If we limit the possibilities of use, we reduce the utility and prevent illicit trade,” they have pointed out.

Jaume Asens resigns from being a candidate for the 'commons': "The renewed energy of new leadership is needed"

“No one is essential. There are times when you have to know how to step aside to let other leaders, who can better connect with the new times, take over and thus put collective interests before individual ones”. In this way, until recently the deputy and spokesman for En Comú Podem, Jaume Asens, announced that he will not be at the head of the list of this formation in the general elections on July 23 and specified that the candidacy “deserves to be led by a brave woman like Aina Vidal”, who in the last general elections, in 2019, ran as number two of the commons to Congress.

Asens' decision comes 24 hours after a plenary session at the Barcelona City Council in which the acting mayor Ada Colau will not repeat her position. Everything indicates that her party will facilitate the investiture as mayor of the Junts candidate, Xavier Trias, by not supporting the socialist Jaume Collboni, but the march of Asens could make the mayoress reconsider her decision to remain in the opposition in Barcelona and appear in the list to Congress, although the first positions of the candidacy there are other names like Gerardo Pisarello, who repeats.

In a letter through social networks, Asens, until now president of the United We Can group in Congress, stated that “I have made the decision not to stand for the next elections. I am convinced that it is the best decision. I have come to the conclusion that there are people who can lead the organization better than myself in the new political cycle that is opening up” and added that this is a “more ambitious and plurinational agreement of progressive forces since the recovery of democracy” , in reference to the pact between Sumar and Podemos and other formations that offers “the opportunity for a woman to be president of Spain for the first time. In Comú Podem it also deserves to be led by a brave woman like Aina Vidal”.

For this reason, Asens assures that “in this moment full of hope, the renewed energy of new leadership is needed” and recalled that “it is not good to perpetuate oneself in politics”, in addition to recalling that he served a term in the Barcelona City Council and another in The congress. In addition, he is “convinced” that Vidal is “the best candidate at these crucial moments when we must face the threat of a democratic involution by those nostalgic for Francoism.”

He also wanted to thank the “accompaniment” of people like Ada Colau or Pablo Iglesias since “without their push and confidence, I would never have decided to take a step forward”. Asens concluded by remarking that he will continue “working from the base. Politics does not end in the institutions” to add “as always, we will see each other in the streets”.

The NBA suspends Ja Morant with 25 games for his return to the old ways with weapons

The career of one of the stars called to capture the future of the NBA began to go wrong a few months ago. And not precisely because of his performance on the court. As if determined to stumble his own brilliance, Ja Morant returned to his old ways. In other words, he showed himself again on social networks with firearms. The league, which already suspended him for eight games in March, announced this Friday that the Grizzlies point guard will not play the first 25 of next season.

To know more
nba. Ja Morant: alcohol, weapons and strip clubs, the great abyss of the new NBA icon

Ja Morant: alcohol, weapons and strip clubs, the great abyss of the new NBA icon

A harsh and exemplary sanction, since in that period he will not receive his salary either (he will stop earning about 10 million dollars), as expected and how could it be otherwise. Because the genius of the colored dreadlocks was not punished with the first notice of the NBA. After serving the first penalty -Morant returned to the slopes after having gone through a center in Florida working with a psychologist and performing reiki and breathing techniques to control anxiety-, for a series of extra-sports incidents that included firearms with which he was seen in a Colorado club-, the 23-year-old point guard appeared again in an Instagram live on his friend Davante Pack's account a month ago. “I take responsibility for my actions, I apologize to my family, teammates, coach, fans and the city of Memphis. I will look for help”, he had admitted in the first instance.

The Grizzlies, eliminated in the playoffs in the first round by the Lakers, already had him suspended, although now Adam Silver, after an investigation, sentences him and argues, in a statement: “The possibility that other young people emulate Ja's behavior is particularly worrying. For Ja, basketball has to take a backseat right now.”

In addition to the appearances with weapons, the one who was rookie of the year in 2020 had starred in a series of controversial episodes off the slopes. In July 2022, weeks after Morant signed a five-year contract with the Grizzlies for more than $231 million, the manager of a Memphis mall reported threats and assaults on the player and his group of friends after an argument with Jamie, his mother. Days later, he was seen with a gun during an incident at a friendly match at his mansion in Tennessee.. As reported by The Washington Post, one of the non-professional players of the pachanga denounced him for beating him violently on several occasions.

Last January, the Pacers reported that their bus was targeted by a laser from a firearm from a van Morant was in after his game in Memphis.. It was precisely Devonte Pack who was sanctioned for a year without being able to attend Grizzlies games for various altercations.

The league statement emphasizes that the incident occurred “despite the fact that Morant had made commitments to the NBA and issued public statements stating that he was not going to repeat the conduct for which he had previously been sanctioned.”. In addition, the sanction includes certain conditions that the player must meet before returning. You also will not be able to participate in public league or team activities for the duration of your suspension, including preseason games.

“I have had time to reflect and realize the damage I have caused. I want to apologize to the NBA, the Grizzlies, my teammates and the city of Memphis.. I will spend the suspension working on my own mental health and my decision-making (process), “the player later wrote, who asked:” I hope they give me the opportunity to show them over time that I am a better man than I have ever been. been proving.”

The jury finds the former director of the Faffe guilty for "illicit expenses" in brothels with money to train the unemployed

Fernando Villén, former director of the Faffe, spent just over 32,000 euros on “parties, orgies, festivals” -in the words of the Anti-Corruption prosecutor Fernando Soto- in five hostess clubs. The money came from the public funds that he managed and that should be used to train the Andalusian unemployed and, although he assures that he returned it, there is no trace of the refund. What until now was a presumption is the truth for the nine members of the people's court who have tried Villén and his accomplice in recent weeks, the former financial director of the entity, Anna Valls. Both have been found guilty. Villén “guilty of a continued illicit disposition of public funds” that he spent in brothels, as well as guilty of “falsifying” the accounts, and Valls, of “collaboration” with his boss and of “simulating returns” of the money.

Two weeks and three days after the trial began, the jury has supported the investigations by the Civil Guard and has considered it proven that Villén squandered 32,566 euros in five brothels, three in Seville, one in Córdoba and another in Chiclana de la Frontera, in the province of Cádiz). It happened between 2004 and 2010, at the height of the Andalusian Training and Employment Fund Foundation, which was created for it by the Andalusian government chaired by Manuel Chaves and which he directed from its inception until its extinction in 2011.

Villén's prostitution route had stops at the Sala Delux in Córdoba (where he spent 1,390 euros), the Bahñia 2 brothel in Chiclana (1,931 euros spent), Top Show Girls in Seville (2,591 euros), La Casita, also in Seville (780 euros) and, above all, Don Angelo, the club preferred by the former director of the Faffe. In this club located in the Andalusian capital (today disappeared) he paid 25,277 euros with three of the six official cards of the foundation that he had at his disposal.

The “great orgy” was held there, as prosecutor Soto called it during the hearing, which involved a bill of 14,737 euros that was paid using Villén's official card fifteen times with charges ranging between 310 and 1,490 euros.. It happened between approximately eight in the afternoon of March 22, 2010 -the first charge is at 8:57 p.m.- and 2:43 a.m. the following day, and the representative of the Public Ministry himself has assumed that the former head of the foundation invited other people to that party, “high, medium or low office or businessmen”, whose names he has refused to reveal in all these years.

Fernando Villén and Anna Valls, former financial director of the Faffe, in the dock of the accused. EUROPE PRESS

The same day of the “great party” a government council of the Junta de Andalucía was held in which the then president, José Antonio Griñán, dismissed Antonio Fernández as employment counselor and, therefore, Villén's superior, since that the Faffe depended on that advice, although Villén has never given clues about the identity of his party companions and the Civil Guard has not found them either.

Next to Villén sat on the bench the former financial manager of the Faffe, who has also been found guilty of allowing and covering up her boss to spend public funds from the entity at will and in these hostess clubs, systematically falsifying the official accounting and pretending that the money was refunded when, in reality, it never returned to the Faffe box.

Both were accused of a continuous crime of embezzlement and another of falsehood, although for Villén the Prosecutor's Office requested six years in prison and for Valls only four.. After the verdict was made public this Friday, it will now be the president of the court, magistrate Mercedes Alaya, who has to write the sentence and establish the penalties that will be imposed on the two convicted.

The requests for forgiveness for what he himself has described as “undue expenses” have been of little use to Villén. The former director of the foundation to train the unemployed has tried to show his repentance, while insisting, since he was accused and until his last statement during the trial, that he returned “all” the money. By way of justification for the revelry in the brothels, he has been maintaining that they were part of the “commercial activity” that he had to carry out as the head of the Faffe.

On the verge of tears, he explained that he tried “not to collect” the expenses he made in the brothels in the Faffe accounting “out of shame” that “such an outrage” appeared.. He has tried to exonerate the other defendant, by pointing out that he never clarified that the expenses with the card corresponded to brothels, a matter that he also hid from his family.

Also, in his final statement he stressed that these clubs currently do not have the same “connotations” as in 2004 and stressed that they were “ten operational” over eight years.

During the trial, trips to Cuba and feasts at the April Fair in Seville that were paid for with money from the Faffe have also come to light.. The prosecution maintains that they are phantom payments and invoices designed to camouflage the expenses in the brothels. On the other hand, Villén has indicated that he and other directors of the Faffe were in Cuba on an institutional trip and that the food at the Fair was his idea to compensate the staff of the public foundation for a year in which there was a lot of work and they changed their headquarters. The food at the April Fair cost about 2,500 euros and was in the UGT-A booth at the fairgrounds, where the union also held parties paid for with money from the Junta de Andalucía, presumably.

PP and Vox agree for the June 27 session of the Faffe commission to set its work schedule

The commission of investigation on the extinct Andalusian Foundation Training and Employment Fund (Faffe) of Parliament has agreed this Friday, with the only participation in it of the representatives of PP-A and Vox, to set for next June 27 the meeting in which it is expected that the final calendar of the work of this parliamentary body will be approved.

This has been indicated to Europa Press by sources from the PP-A, which chairs this commission hand in hand with its deputy Maribel Sánchez, and who have confirmed that only the representatives of the Popular Group and Vox have attended this Friday's session, all time that both the Socialist Group and Por Andalucía resigned from participating in this parliamentary body from the moment in which the aforementioned two groups agreed to its reactivation after failing to approve in the Plenary Session of Parliament the opinion of the one that was developed in the last legislature, due to the early call of the elections that ended up being held on June 19, 2022.

The Grupo Mixto-Adelante Andalucía, which initially did open up to be part of this commission, also later announced that it would distance itself from it as long as the PP-A did not lend itself to setting up another investigation into the emergency contracts of the Junta de Andalusia during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In this way, the commission has agreed this Friday, hand in hand with PP and Vox, to open a period of one week, until next Friday, June 23, for the groups to present their work plan proposals, which will be addressed in the session set for Tuesday, June 27.

In this way, at that meeting on the 27th, the “definitive calendar” of the commission's work is expected to be approved, as explained by the same sources, who have also clarified that at the meeting this Friday it has been agreed to incorporate the documentation of the commission developed during the last legislature.

The work of this commission was suspended due to the campaign for the municipal elections on May 28, and part of it, as members of the PP-A and Vox, respectively, are the parliamentarians Erik Domínguez and Ricardo López Olea, as well as the deputies of the Popular Group Araceli Cabello and Pablo Venzal, and, on behalf of Vox, Javier Cortés and Ana María Ruiz.

Yolanda Díaz turns Sumar into a typical party with a very small leadership, the leader will be called "president" and a double path for the military

Sumar Movement, the instrumental party that Yolanda Díaz created to legally sign the coalition with 15 political forces, takes its own flight. The leader of this space will turn it into an organization to use with its leaders, its congresses and its internal life. Among the main characteristics of the new formation are that the highest position will be called “president”, the direction will be very reduced and there will be a double path for the military: affiliates and “friends of Sumar”. The former vote and the latter only when expressly authorized by the party leadership.

All this and much more about the operation of Movimiento Sumar is included in the statutes that the formation has made public this Friday on its website. The Code of Ethics for positions and affiliates will also be available soon.

The structures are simple: the Assembly (formed by all the affiliates), the Coordination Table (the party leadership) and the Guarantees Commission. Movimiento Sumar stands out from other parties in its space and does not have an extended and numerous management body, such as the Federal Committee of the PSOE or the State Citizen Council of Podemos. It concentrates everything in the Coordination Table.

This leadership performs the functions of Executive and governs the party with a mandate of four years.. It will be made up of between three and ten people affiliated and elected in a congress by the militants. That's a strikingly small number compared to other organizations.. In this group will be the positions of the Presidency, the Secretariat and the Treasury of the party.

When there is a presidency, the head of the party will be called president. She will be president as soon as Díaz formally assumes it. This denomination clashes with the tradition of the left, which is used to calling its leaders general secretary. It happens in the PSOE and in Podemos, and in IU it is similar (federal coordinator). The term “president” is the one that the right uses for its figures. PP and Vox have it and Ciudadanos has been using it until five months ago. On the other hand, the Secretariat is what in other parties is called Organization Secretariat.

The Assembly is the set of affiliates. One of its main functions is to elect members of the party leadership. Also exercise control over them. It is surprising because this Assembly will meet with unusual frequency. At least once “every year”, although extraordinary appointments are possible. However, the leadership of the party and the Guarantees Commission are renewed every four years.

“Friends”: registered without voting rights

Among the novelties, Movimiento Sumar creates two ways to be a member of the party. On the one hand, there is the typical figure of the “affiliate”, which requires paying the corresponding fees. It is required to be of legal age and provide personal data, including ID. The main rights are to be able to vote and be elected. Article 6 allows military affiliates also in other political formations. “People who want to join and participate will do so under equal conditions, regardless of whether they belong to other organizations, associations or parties,” he says..

The second way to be linked is what is called “Amigas de Sumar”. Basically it is any person who registers on your website and, unlike the affiliate, does not have to pay any fee. Of course, that also translates into a restriction of their ability to participate. They can do so as long as the management authorizes it.. If not nothing. This is reflected in the text: “friends” have the right to “participate in as many debates, citizen listening, voting and consultations of the Sumar Movement as are established by the management bodies as accessible” to these people. This is the opposite of what happens in Podemos, where those registered always have the ability to vote without having to pay anything.

Regarding the management and the Guarantees Commission, the statutes establish that its composition “always respect gender parity and reflect the plurality and social and cultural diversity of the country.”

As for the Guarantees Commission, which is the body that administers internal justice, it will be made up of three people. The statutes detail the cases that are considered minor, serious and very serious infractions and what happens to a member or friend of Sumar when they commit them.

Why berberine, the 'natural ozempic,' is the dangerous new weight-loss trend on 'TikTok'

At this point in 2023, who more and who less has a brother-in-law, a cousin, a neighbor or a co-worker who “has taken the injections that lose weight”. If you are from the resistance and this sounds Chinese to you, go ahead because semaglutide and liraglutide are two relatively new drugs, subject to medical prescription, indicated for weight loss as long as they are accompanied by healthy lifestyles (food , exercise, mental health).

Advantages of these drugs? They have shown that they can help lose weight to some people with obesity who are stagnant and who have spent years engaged in diets and exercise without seeing results.

Drawbacks? Unfortunately, its use is trivialized in many cases, being used for people who are not obese but are simply looking for a shortcut to remove “those extra kilos”.. Of course, like all drugs, semaglutide, liraglutide, and other cousins in the family also have side effects.. It is essential that these drugs are only prescribed to people who are really candidates for using them according to the data sheet.

To know more
Apothecary Garcia. Saxenda and Ozempic: weight loss drugs, science without miracles

Saxenda and Ozempic: weight loss drugs, science without miracles

Health. A study demonstrates the success of Ozempic in treating obesity in adolescents

A study demonstrates the success of Ozempic in treating obesity in adolescents

What is berberine and why is it successful on 'TikTok'?

This Chemical Compound Named After A Marvel Superhero Wasn't Born Yesterday. It is extracted from plants such as barberry and its millennial use was recorded on clay tablets from the library of the Assyrian emperor Ashurbanipal, dated 650 BC.. Berberine has always aroused therapeutic interest, although, yes, its “benefits” have evolved over time.

In the time of Ashurbanipal, berberine was proposed, in fine, to purify the blood (although the reality is that it was the Fortasec of the time). A few years ago it was called “the little sister of metformin” and now it triumphs on TikTok as “the natural Ozempic”. Is this true? We could say that “when the river sounds, water carries” or, as I always like to repeat, that all hoaxes or tendentious headlines have a leg of truth. But let's see what the science says.

Berberine and Ozempic or how to confuse speed with bacon

Despite being dubbed “the natural Ozempic”, berberine acts in the body with a very different mechanism of action than semaglutide, which is the active ingredient in Ozempic.. The mechanism of action of semaglutide is well defined and is based on the fact that this molecule has a structure similar to satiating hormones, being able to fit into their same receptors like a puzzle piece.. In this way, semaglutide “tricks” our body into thinking that we are full.. As a consequence, food and energy intake is reduced and eventually the patient loses weight.

The big difference is that the molecular mechanisms that link berberine to weight loss are multiple, not well defined, and bear no relation to the mechanism of action of semaglutide.. It is true that in some clinical trials it has been observed that berberine could be useful for reducing appetite, improving glucose metabolism and modulating the microbiota.. but there is no evidence of a sufficient level to affirm that these effects are truly useful when treating the different pathologies. It's like comparing a high-speed train to a bicycle (and not being sure that the bicycle has air in the tires).

From the gold rush to the Ozempic rush

It is a fact that, due to their efficacy, both semaglutide and liraglutide have become a “obscure object of desire”, even by people without obesity. The problem is that its high price and the fact that it is a drug subject to medical prescription could lead many people to think that berberine is a “slightly less effective” but cheaper option, without a prescription, and without side effects.. Mistake!

There are still few trials that have been carried out evaluating its effectiveness in weight loss in humans.. And while most people who take berberine tolerate it well, it's not a harmless substance.. On the one hand, these supplements can cause nausea, vomiting, high blood pressure and/or tingling in the hands and feet.. On the other hand, it is important to note that berberine may be responsible for drug interactions, for example, with drugs such as metformin.. In this case, berberine can enhance the effect of metformin, causing hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

There are no shortcuts in weight loss

If an overweight or obese person is considering trying any of the new pharmacological options, the first step is to consult their doctor to see if they really are a candidate.

The second step, both in the affirmative and negative case, will be to establish a comprehensive plan to address an improvement in your metabolic health.. Let's remember: in weight loss there are no shortcuts, neither pharmacological nor natural.

In weight loss, it is only possible to work hand in hand with specialists to find a 360º plan adapted to the needs of each person.