Soria, (EFE)
Ortega has collected the testimonies of the last inhabitants of many towns in rural Soria, the true custodians of a seriously threatened cultural and social heritage.
We are still in time to reverse the emptied Spain
“The Sorianos have part of the responsibility. If we can do something to reverse the situation, and it is in our hands, we should do it. We are still on time, despite the bad situation. In ten or fifteen or twenty years, no”, warns Ortega in an interview with EFE.
For this young man, who is studying to run for municipal comptroller, touring the small towns of the province in his spare time and writing down what he finds in his notebook and capturing what he sees with his camera has become a passion, which transmits a extraordinary legacy and personal experience.
Ask young people for a small revolution
To reverse the situation of depopulation in emptied Spain, of which Soria is kilometer zero, Ortega advocates revitalizing all spheres of society, through a small cultural, social, political and economic “revolution”, and for this he is It is essential that young people get wet.
Ortega stresses that if the population situation of the province is not reversed –less than 90,000 inhabitants-, its own future as a provincial entity is at risk, because, in his opinion, it is unfeasible.
Attract population in county heads and the capital
For this young man, what is urgent is “to maintain, fix and attract population in the towns at the head of the region and in the capital.”
“If we managed to keep 10 percent of the Sorianos that are born so that they don’t leave, it would be a success. And then, little by little, because this is a wheel, if the main towns work, the surrounding towns would revitalize themselves”, she assures.
Cattle, orchard and fire
Ortega acknowledges that he feels privileged to meet people and direct testimonials from people who continue to live like decades ago, with their cattle, their orchards and their fire, a Spain far removed from the world of the Internet, the AVE and technologies. .
“What I like is to know, because I am restless. You can find out by reading or watching movies, but having direct testimonials is priceless for me, ”she highlights.
When he arrives in practically uninhabited villages, the first thing David does is identify himself with tact and care. Having common acquaintances opens doors and conversations. “Most people generally love to talk. One day I was planning to visit four or five towns and you stay in one all afternoon talking”.
He introduces himself on his Twitter profile as the grandson of Adolfo and Alicia, Martín and Socorro, “from Soriano and something from Burgos”. In his opinion, those who had to leave the towns for other lands in search of a better future have never recognized those who stayed in the towns for keeping a legacy alive.
“A man from Portelárbol, the last one who stayed, told me that thanks to him the streets were fixed and the light came on. And if he had left, the town would be in ruins and they would not be able to come, ”he points out.
The emptied Spain has come to stay
Ortega considers that emptied Spain is a reality that “has come to stay” and is a common problem not only in Soria and Spain, but in many European countries and other developed countries.
“The more developed a country is, the more the population is concentrated in the big cities and the more territory remains depopulated. Yes, it is true that in Spain it worsens and in Castilla, more, and in Soria, even more. But it is a global economic trend, ”he says.
Addressing unpopulated areas: a national emergency
Thus, David believes that attending to these depopulated areas is a national emergency problem because not doing so means putting the very viability of Spain as a country at risk.
“A country cannot maintain itself with 95 percent of the territory, empty,” sentence.EFE