Thousands Protest in Madrid Against Rural Abandonment and Environmental Impact of Large-Scale Renewable Projects
Thousands protest in Madrid denouncing rural abandonment, lack of public services, and environmental harms caused by large renewable energy projects.
- • Approximately 1,500 people protested in Madrid on October 5, 2025, against rural abandonment and large-scale renewable energy projects.
- • Key projects opposed include a solar plant in Lopera, a lithium mine in Cañaveral, and a biogas plant in Machacón.
- • Protesters denounced lack of public services leading to rural depopulation and environmental destruction without benefits to locals.
- • Calls were made for government investment, improved services, and protection of rural communities and resources.
Key details
On October 5, 2025, around 1,500 people gathered in Madrid to protest against the abandonment of rural Spain and the environmental and social consequences of large-scale renewable energy projects. The demonstration, under the slogan 'Save the Aggressed Rural World,' featured participants from across Spain, including Aragón. Marching from Atocha to Cibeles, protesters voiced their opposition to projects such as the solar plant in Lopera (Jaén), the lithium mine in Cañaveral (Cáceres), and the biogas plant in Machacón (Salamanca).
Ernesto Romeo, a member of the coordinating group, emphasized the protest’s goal to highlight the rural depopulation caused by inadequate public services, calling villages a "vacuum" and criticizing the environmental destruction by these "macro-renewable" projects as the greatest in Spain's history without any local benefits. He underscored rural areas as vital for food, oxygen, and biodiversity.
Participants demanded improved public services including healthcare and transportation. Rafael Alcalá from Lopera expressed concern over land expropriation threats, while Rosa Calero from Villarobledo condemned illegal waste disposal and privatized healthcare.
Tomás Guitarte of Aragón-Teruel Existe called for government action, investments, and fiscal incentives to halt rural decline. Miguel Mur warned about the severe long-term consequences of decades of neglect. Meanwhile, members of the Soria Ya platform denounced continuous neglect despite the region’s large territory.
This significant protest, supported by about 500 entities and 50 organizations, illustrates the growing concern over rural depopulation and the contested impact of large renewable projects in Spain’s countryside.