Nerja tree felling sparks activists' outrage and leads to protest with two arrests

The police arrested two people on Wednesday during a protest against tree felling in the Maro valley in Nerja. According to sources, they allegedly refused to identify themselves and disobeyed the Guardia Civil's orders.

Tensions have emerged in the context of the works the Sociedad Azucarera Larios has been carrying out in the area for months. The detainees are a 45-year-old Spanish woman and a 30-year-old Italian man. Both have already been brought before the judicial authorities, who have released them without charge.

The incident occurred on a plot of land measuring approximately 5,000 square metres, with about 30 trees, including cherimoyas and olives, where heavy machinery was operating, according to information the complainants shared with SUR.

The intervention occurred when several people gathered to try to halt the work. According to the Acción por Maro y su Agricultura (AMA) platform, the two detainees remained at the scene awaiting the arrival of Seprona (the nature protection service of the Guardia Civil) to verify the legality of the actions. They reportedly refused to leave when requested by the police.

Platform members have stated that the protest was "peaceful" and they question the proportionality of the police action.

The AMA has reported that the work carried out in the area includes the felling of approximately 100 non-invasive trees and earthworks to remove roots on a slope over karst rock, on land classified as non-developable land requiring special protection and situated near a ravine and an area of heritage significance. According to the AMA, this type of activity may require administrative authorisations and a prior environmental assessment.

The Guardia Civil have added these points to a complaint, which details tree felling, work with heavy machinery less than 100 metres from a natural watercourse, activities taking place near historic irrigation channels and a potential impact on wildlife during the nesting season

The complaints have requested the intervention of the Seprona, verification of building permits and sector-specific authorisations and the adoption of precautionary measures if an environmental risk exists.

The document adds that the works are reportedly taking place on several plots within industrial estates 006, 007 and 008, most of which are classified as non-developable land under special protection and are subject to various environmental, hydraulic and archaeological concerns. According to the complainants, this does not involve ordinary agricultural work, but rather a substantial alteration of the land using heavy machinery.

The police action comes amid growing conflict in the Maro valley, following Larios's decision to terminate some 400 agricultural leases and the commencement of demolition work and land redistribution efforts in January. These measures have sparked strong opposition from a group of tenants, residents and agricultural associations, who denounce the social impact and the loss of the traditional market garden model. A total of 100 people participated in a demonstration to oppose these actions in February.

The Larios company has previously stated that its objective is to restore the land to strictly agricultural use, remove constructions and elements it considers irregular and move towards a "more organised and professional" operation. All this while its urban development project to build a golf course, 500 homes and three hotels remains stalled. Nerja town hall forced the project to restart in February, in accordance with the new Andalusian land-use regulations.

The protest this past Wednesday and the two arrests demonstrate that the conflict has entered a new phase, one in which social, environmental and police issues intersect. While machinery continued working in the area on Thursday, the demonstrators announced further actions and maintained their demand for greater intervention and transparency from environmental authorities and the town hall.