The Tourism Inspection of Galicia has initiated a sanctioning file against the promoters of the so-called "Drug Trafficking Route," a tour planned along the Arousa estuary on August 29 and backed by Laureano Oubiña, who was previously convicted of drug trafficking offenses.
The action of the regional administration is not only focused on the content of the proposal but also on the fact that it violates what is established in the Tourism Law of Galicia, as it is not managed by a company authorized to organize tourist visits.
After reviewing the advertising and information disseminated on the Internet —where it is still possible to purchase tickets to attend—, the Xunta concluded that it is a "tourist package" and that, consequently, it could only be offered by an entity authorized for that activity.
In practice, the route is marketed through the company Pejurito S.L.U., whose purpose is the sale of books, merchandising, and wines linked to Laureano Oubiña, but which lacks a license in the tourism sector. "It is not an events company nor a tourism agency, therefore it is not authorized," acknowledged the Minister of the Presidency, Diego Calvo, this Friday, in statements to the media, who criticized that "some person was trying to organize or gain some type of profit from this activity."
Tour of the Arousa Estuary
The proposal was disseminated by Laureano Oubiña himself through social networks and his website, where he detailed his intention to charter a boat with a capacity for 250 attendees on August 29. The price of the spots was set at 189 euros and, according to the published information, the capacity would have already been approximately filled to half.
The designed itinerary starts and ends at the port of O Grove and covers fifteen points of interest in the Arousa estuary, with Oubiña himself as the guide of the excursion, advertised as "a story never told in the first person." "A crossing of the Arousa estuary in which we will visit the places that marked an era and discover, narrated by its own protagonist, the story that has never been told in this way," the website states.
The possible sanction is based on the Tourism Law of Galicia of 2011, which establishes that only travel agencies can prepare and market tourist packages. Likewise, the responsible company would have to be listed in the Register of Tourism Companies and Activities (REAT), a requirement that is not met in this case.
Providing tourist services without presenting the responsible declaration or having prior authorization is considered a serious infringement according to this regulation, and can result in fines ranging from 901 to 9,000 euros.
Reactions from the associations
After the decision of the Xunta became known, the coordinator of the Érguete Association, Elvira Rivas, has issued a statement in which she emphasizes that "drug trafficking kills and has killed thousands of people," in addition to having caused "tons of pain around the world." "Imagine the suffering that activities profiting from the myth of drug trafficking, that take advantage of all the pain, can cause," she points out, reminding that "not everything is acceptable."
Rivas wanted to mention those who publicly denounced this initiative and reached out to the entity in recent days to express their rejection, to whom she has conveyed her gratitude. "Society will always be a better place as long as we are here to denounce injustices and defend those who cannot do so," she added.