James Warren
ROADS in Spain bearing the name of King Juan Carlos I are slowly being renamed after allegations of financial corruption.
‘Avenida Juan Carlos I’ is a popular name that can be seen in the majority of towns and cities across Spain, including many in Andalucia.
His name also graces public parks, roundabouts, squares and bridges.
However recently his name has been associated with allegations regarding financial irregularities surrounding kick-backs from commercial contracts in the Gulf that he allegedly stashed in Swiss bank accounts.
According to the National Institute of Statistics (INE), there are 637 public roads currently named Juan Carlos I in Spain.
Overall, Bajadoz, Toledo and Murcia hold the most while the Murcian municipality of Lorca has eight facilities named after the monarch.
Many municipalities have already started the name-changing process.
Vitoria, Gijon and Cadiz have removed the King’s name from all their infrastructure.
Velez Malaga in eastern Malaga is also in the process of changing the name of the main thoroughfare to Torre del Mar.
A social media campaign is pushing to officially name it ‘Avenida del Colesterol’ after being called it for many years by residents.
