Tuesday, May 01, 2018

Carboneras Promotion

The chief sicario, the executioner of Columbian drug-lord Pablo Escobar, was one 'Popeye'. Popeye, real name John Jairo Velásquez Vasquez, was responsible for at least 250 killings (Wiki) and spent 23 years in jail for his sins. He is now a free man.
A handful, if ever there was one.
We meet Popeye in an eccentric Facebook video which appears on the page of Pascual Díaz Hernández, the Councillor for Tourism for Carboneras, Almería (unfortunately famous for its Algarrobico Hotel which no one wants to either complete or demolish).  Popeye is promoting Carboneras as a great place to visit (and in a second video, as a great place to eat gambas).
Is all publicity good, as long as you get the name right? Don't answer that!
El Mundo notes that:  '...Shortly after uploading the videos on his social networks, the tourist councillor for Carboneras began to receive criticism from some Internet users. "It all starts because of an anonymous profile linked to the socialist party that is beginning to ask for my resignation. It's a year before the election and they're going to campaign. They are giving me grief because the video has had repercussions," says Díaz Hernández. "They are trying to tarnish my image because I am one of the most active councillors in the city council," he adds...'.
In a later interview with the Cadena Ser, the councillor was quite pleased with events.  'I didn't know anything about Popeye's past at the time I asked him to do the promotion,' (Popeye has a YouTube account here) 'but the video has been seen by 186,000 people in three days'.
Whether the right kind of tourist will choose Carboneras as a result of the promotion will soon be known, hopefully without too many disagreements...




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