Editorial Review-The Anti-Highway Controversy

The headline-making protests, and national TV news coverage of heavy equipment burnings, and offensive grafitti related to the the new Ibiza Airport-Ibiza Town highway stem from a percieved injustice.

The percieved injustice, from the protesters point of view, is that Spain's former Foreign Minister, Sr, Abel Matutues, one of the largest landholders on the island, is benefiting in a discriminatory way, from this construction project. Although he has publicly disclaimed any
benefit whatsoever, and challenged anyone (reward included) to prove that he is profiting in any way.

The fact is, that Sr. Matutes daughter, Stella, is the local governments' Councilwoman for
roadways, and that a curve in the road is being built which will avoid crossing a large tract of
Mr Matute's land, which otherwise wold have had to be expropriated (at approximately 3 Euros /m2). And one of Sr. Matutes companies is a part owner in the quarry which will provide
most of the gravel for the new highways.

Because many of the protesters lands have already been expropriated (at below market prices),
volatile suspicions have arisen among them that the project involves something less than fair play.

'Percieved injustice' and 'injustice' are identical to the victim. And no amount of government
or police interventions in protests, or judicial decisions, are going to change this, as has been underlined recently in France and Nepal.

Add to this the distrust, not only of many Ibicencan citizens, but worldwide; of the entire political class, but especially of government leaders who are intent on imposing a single political partys' vision of what "is best" for its citizens without consensus.....and you will have guaranteed volatile oppositon.....a political football match which continues ad nauseum,