Spain public paths face illegal privatization and closures

The Plataforma Ibérica por los Caminos Públicos (PICP) is denouncing the illegal privatization and arbitrary blocking of public paths and livestock routes across Spain. The organization claims that local councils and autonomous communities have remained passive while these ancestral routes are being restricted by private owners, corporations, and specific regulations.

According to the PICP, these closures threaten various socio-economic activities in rural areas, including sports, hiking, and traditional livestock movement. The group highlights several threats to this public heritage, including the construction of roads, infrastructure projects, and the installation of fences. Additionally, the group raised concerns regarding safety, citing incidents where hunting activities on these paths have caused physical harm to citizens.