Authorities in Spain are on stand-by following the takeover of hotels by squatters.
The Guardia Civil and local police forces are on high alert as the Sol y Mar Aparthotel in Cala Bona was overrun earlier this week. Locals now fear that the squatters there have set a precedent for other establishments throughout Majorca.
The National Police of Spain have the Sol y Mar under strict surveillance while the hotel is waiting for the courts to decide what action can be taken. The Guardia, as well as police forces, believe that the Cala Bona Case is an example of a ‘gypsy clan’ moving in without the intention of living there permanently, the Majorca Daily Bulletin reports.
The groups then ‘sublet’ to other people. A spokesperson for the Police has said: “Years ago, squatters were people in a precarious situation, who had no other choice but to enter uninhabited houses to have a roof over their family.
“This profile still exists, but now there is a different phenomenon: real-estate mafias who take over houses or businesses just to negotiate their price. They are professional extortionists.”
At present, the local authorities believe the squatters who took over the hotel have sublet Sol y Mar to a group of Colombian individuals. However, the chain of letting out rooms seems to have continued as the Colombian group have now allegedly rented out some space too.
It is still unclear if there are any children among the squatters which would complicate the eviction process due to the removal of families with minors being difficult. “The mafias know this, and they use children without any shame,” says a police source.
The hotel’s owner, Miquel Deyà, has revealed further details of how the events unfolded last Sunday.
He said: “I received a message from the alarm system. The cameras had recorded three people running in.
The Guardia Civil and Son Servera Police went to the scene. “They found that they had forced entry, broken windows and caused other damage, but they didn’t see anyone. So they sealed off what had been tampered with and left.”
Shortly after, residents alerted him to various noises and voices coming from the apartment. “I called the Guardia Civil again, but they couldn’t do anything,” he said.
On Monday, Mr Deyà was able to speak to one of the squatters. He said: “I discovered that they had stolen all the keys plus some material we had stored.
“I went to try to talk to them. One of them opened the door and told me he wasn’t going anywhere. According to him, he had been living there for a month; he had made a verbal contract. I told him that this was an aparthotel and that it was closed.”
The owner remains unsure when the squatters will move out, raising concerns for locals.
