On May 17, 2003, Environmental agents removed the first snake in Ibiza, a horseshoe snake specimen that a gardener found while watering olive trees that had arrived from Andalusia. Two weeks later, a second specimen appeared, this time a white snake, and three more were removed that same year. That is to say, it all started 23 years ago and, since the first case, the arrival of snakes could be linked to the entry of olive trees through luxury villas. But two decades have passed and the olive trees still come in, because nurseries want to keep making money and because our politicians are afraid of setting limits to the lack of control, lest the neo-capitalist mafia system that dominates the island kicks them out of their seats. The snake invasion is much more than a biological invasion; it is a symptom. The symptom of an island that has lost its way. It is difficult to find a more precise metaphor for what is happening, because, in the end, what is behind it is an economic model that exploits Ibiza without control, which corners and expels the people of Ibiza, whether they are lizards or human beings.

The Palma City Council will plant 36 trees, including olive, holm oak, and mulberry trees, to replace the beautiful shade trees it cut down in Llorenç Villalonga Square. This is the final proposal presented this Thursday by the Councilor for Infrastructure, Accessibility, and Industrial Parks, Belén Soto, at the Palma Verde Roundtable meeting. Representatives from various organizations, political parties, and neighborhood associations were present at the meeting. The proposal, according to a statement from the City Council, is the result of several meetings held with the Balearic Tree Association (ABA); the neighborhood associations of Calatrava, Canamunt, La Lonja-Born, La Seu, and Calatrava-Montisión-Santa Clara; and the Association for the Revitalization of Historic Centers (ARCA). The City Council analyzed the proposals and incorporated some, such as the restoration of existing trees, changes to the species, and the replacement of certain trees.