๐บ๐ธ Mr. Cuerpo Goes to Washington
Plus: Tiger King (Mallorca edition) and trigger warnings for Spanish movies.
Madrid | Issue #98
๐ช๐ธ The Bubble is Spain's #1 English-language newsletter. We offer paid subscriptions and weโd be thrilled to have your support!
So very frank
๐ด๏ธ Two Men in Suits, Talking About Tariffs

Spainโs Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo traveled to American Thunderdome (aka Washington, D.C.) for a meeting Tuesday with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. And it seems like the โmercans actually are peeved about Spainโs Prime Minister Pedro Sรกnchezโs flirtations with China last week. Like, the Americans called the Bessent-Cuerpo summit โfrank.โ ๐ฑ But more on diplomatic โfranknessโ in a second.
Why meet? Spain, like the rest of the EU and what used to be called the โWestโ, would like to avoid the tariff-tsunami U.S. President Donald โOrange Manโ Trump has threatened to unleash unless they do what he wants. The issue? No one knows what he wants, not even the Orange Man himself.
But anyway. Spainโs not just like everyone else. Indeed, the Trump regime may have it out for our little Espaรฑa. The Orange Man confused it for a BRICS country (not positive!), for one thing. And noted repeatedly that it doesnโt spend enough on defense. Oh, and just last week, Bessent himself said that if Spain drew closer to China, as Sรกnchez suggested during a trip to visit China President Xi Jinping, it would be like โcutting your own throat.โ Zoinks! ๐ซฃ
The point. The meeting between Bessent and Cuerpo, scheduled before Sรกnchezโs China trip (according to his government), was both a meet-and-greet and a chance to calm the waters.
A touch of odd. At one level, the meeting was a strange one for Bessent to have, as Spain is not a major trading partner, and Cuerpo has no EU negotiating powerโthatโs all done through EU bosses in Brussels.
But it was a big deal for Carlos Cuerpo (aka Carl Body in Bubblespeak), the chance to parley as an โequalโ with his equivalent at the worldโs biggest economyโand big-up Spain, just as Sรกnchez did meeting with Xi in China.
So how did the talks go? No one ever tells you exactly what went down. But, man, the tea leaves! ๐ซ
Message massage. Carl Bodyโs aim was to project a vibe of diplomatic normalcy, just two Finance Chieftains doing their thing. And he did that! Cuerpo described โconstructiveโ talks about โmutual interestsโ and highlighted "the importance of the U.S. for Europe and for Spain as a strategic partner" while at the same time emphasizing Spainโs right to maintain "a frank and open dialogue" with China.
Dialogue, dude. โSecretary Bessent has conveyed a clear message: the U.S. wants to reach an agreement with its main trade partners,โ Cuerpo said. โThat confirms the door to dialogue opened last week with the 90 days pause.โ
But Bessent wasnโt having it. The Treasury Secretary first played down the importance of the conversation: "It's not a trade meeting," he explained. "It was a pre-scheduled meeting. He and I have never met. That's not a trade meeting. The Japanese meeting [Japanโs trade negotiator is about to meet Bessent about tariffs] is a trade negotiation.โ
Ice cold. Then Bessent iced Cuerpo. In the American meeting summary, released six hours later, the Treasury limited itself to saying the discussions were โfrankโ and that Bessent had reminded Cuerpo that Spain needed to spend more on defense (Spain is near the bottom of the EU, spending just 1.3% of GDP), and that the U.S. didnโt like Spainโs โGoogle Taxโ (a law that requires digital servicesโusually U.S. giantsโto pay 3% tax on income earned in Spain from advertising and the like). In other words, โSpain, you are a bad little dog!โ
How โfrankโ are we talking? Letโs indulge in a little diplomatic speech digression. Frank is basically forward, direct, and a little unpleasant. As an old New York Times article put it, โFrank is the diplomat's way of saying: 'We did not agree on a thing.โ Well, at least it wasnโt โFull and frank.โ What does that mean? ''It looks like war.''
At least he tried. Back in Spain, OKDiario titled its article about the meeting, โU.S. Treasury Secretary Disses Cuerpoโ, which you would expect from a right-wing outlet, but even the pro-government El Paรญs couldnโt muster up much enthusiasm in its article about the โhard and coldโ meeting summary. It listed all the diplomatic niceties the U.S. didnโt use: โCommon interests.โ โJoint priorities.โ โShared prosperity.โ โStrong ties.โ โImportance of the relationship.โ
On the positive side. The government rolled out the first โฌ1bn of its loan guarantees for businesses hurt by Trumpโs tariffs, so weโve got that. Right?
More news below. ๐๐
๐ But first, check out our Instagram account
If youโre not following us on Instagram yet, youโre missing out. Weโre posting exclusive content with our collaborators across Spain, breaking news updates, and pop culture coverage. Click on the post above and come hang with us!
๐ฌ Five things to discuss at dinner parties this week
1. ๐ญ Spain is making schools serve more fish and kids are livid
Healthy food for you, kids! Spainโs government passed a decree at its weekly cabinet meeting requiring school lunchrooms to offer more fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes and fishโand to eliminate sugary drinks and industrial pastries.
Winners and losers. Parents, nutritionists, and the medical profession? Thrilled. But kids? So angry you can hear their stomachs growl.
The lunch line = the front line. In many schools, fresh food is a luxury, and vending machines have been happily pumping out sugar bombs with zero adult supervision. According to the government, nearly 47% of Spanish kids aged 6โ9 from low-income families are overweight or obese.
Hurts the poor most. โThe school lunchroom is one of our most powerful tools to fight inequality,โ said Minister of Social Rights Pablo Bustinduy, who spearheaded the decree.
So whatโs changing on the ๐ฝ? The decree sets nationwide nutrition rulesโreplacing the previous patchwork of regional discretion and cafeteria roulette. Among the biggest shifts.
Fresh stuff. Fruit and vegetables must be served daily, and 45% must be seasonal.
Mandatory toot fruit. Legumes are now mandatory weekly, and whole grain rice or pasta must be on the menu at least four times a month.
Something fishy. Fish must be offered 1 to 3 times per week. This is a radical change, considering 1,200 schools currently serve, like, none. Knowing the kids we know, this may be the bridge too far. Farty beans are one thing, but fish?! ๐ก
The Vโs. Vegetarian and vegan options will be required for students with ethical or religious dietary needs. (If a school canโt provide them? Students can bring a packed lunchโand the school has to store and heat it.)
But, but, but. The worst part (for naughty children like we were) is there's been a junk food reckoning.
No, no, and no. No more sugary drinks, energy drinks, or pastriesโeither in the cafeteria or vending machines. And packaged foods with more than 5 grams of sugar or 200 kcal per portion? Banned. Like, verboten!
Not โnoโ but almost โnoโ. Fried foods? Just once a week. And precooked items like pizza or empanadas? One sad little time per month. ยกAdiรณs, end-of-term pizza party!
Shed a tear for the children. Bustinduy is betting a better school lunch can change a generationโs health, support local farmers, and keep vending machines from serving up Type 2 diabetes with a straw. Just donโt try telling that to a 9-year-old mourning their cafeteria croissant.
Give us a moment to mourn. Schools will have to phase in the changes over the course of the next academic year.
2. ๐๏ธ RTVE wants to warn you about some films but it wonโt tell you why
Spainโs national media company RTVE wants to warn you when some films it shows might offend your sensibilities so you can cover your eyes or gird your loins or whatever you do in such situations.
The offending program. For 35 years, the popular (at least with the olds) program Cine de barrio has been playing Spanish movies (usually comedies) from the 50s, 60s, and 70s (and sometimes beyond!) on Saturday nights.
Those were the days. We all know that those decades, especially the Franco-y bits, werenโt exactly the sensitive Right On utopia of today and, in fact, people back then said and did some things that definitely wouldnโt be cool in our 21st century.
Protecting the sensitive. And so, โin response to various audience requests regarding some titles broadcast on Cine de barrio related to sexist and macho attitudes,โ RTVE will be โcontextualizingโ offending films with a pre-show warning. Like a cigarette warning, but to protect your soul.
But, but, butโฆreally? This would just be an amusing example of cultural nanny-ism except for the warning they chose to run (and only when a film requires it).
The trigger warning. โThe circumstances contained in this film are set in a specific era and must be understood within the social context of that era."
And that meansโฆ We probably donโt need to (but will) point out that this warning could be applied to any film ever made and therefore means, effectively, nothing.
Wasnโt this about sexism and macho attitudes? By not specifying the reason, the warning could apply to anything. Like, weโre offended by parachute pants and heavy use of Aqua Net hairspray, and that is definitely from a โspecific eraโ โ the 1980s.
May we suggest. If RTVE wants to warn about Old Societal Attitudes but doesnโt want to say what they are, it could say, โWarning: The following movie is not Right On.โ
Is it to protect people, orโฆ One opinion piece in El Confidencial suggests the warning is meant to remind people that if they like these films, they are terrible. The title? Cine de barrio will remind your grandmother that she's a fucking troglodyte.
Of course it did. Surprising no one, this devolved into a cultural/political argument that played out on X.
Ping. A journalist from El programa de Ana Rosa (which leans right) wrote, โThe plan to idiotize society continues unabated."
Pong. To which the president of RTVE (nominated by the PSOE) replied, โWhat you call โdumbing downโ others see as not trivializing physical violence against women, homophobia, or the perpetuation of macho roles. All under a layer of paternalistic humor inspired by the values โโof Francoism that permeate these Spanish films from the 1960s.โ
Which begs the question. If these movies are so bad, why is RTVE showing them?
3. ๐ฏ๏ธ Pilar Alegrรญa is not happy about sexist smear campaign
Spainโs Education Minister Pilar Alegrรญa is at the center of a political storm after being linked to rumors about a 2020 party in a hotel outside Teruel, que tambiรฉn existe, (sorry, nerdy political joke), allegedly involving sex workers and disgraced ex-Transport Minister Josรฉ Luis รbalos.
Rumor has it. The original rumor describing an โorgy with ladiesโ surfaced in 2021 but has seen new life lately thanks to right-wing publication OKDiario, which last week wrote about how รbalos allegedly brought a van full of โladiesโ (euphemism for sex workers) to the hotel and trashed the suite.
Man in trouble. รbalos, who you may remember for his involvement in last yearโs massive facemasks corruption scandal, says itโs all โa blatant lieโ and that heโs taking legal action. (And thereโs this: No evidence has ever confirmed the claims.)
The hotel speak. Hotel chain Paradores issued a press statement โcategorically denyingโ that anyone trashed the suite that day (but named no names).
Hereโs the (tenuous) link. Rumors surfaced that Alegrรญa, who was then the governmentโs delegate in Aragรณn (where Teruel is found), had also stayed at the Parador hotel that night. And she confirmedโbut she publicly detailed her schedule that day โalmost minute by minuteโ to distance herself from the scandal. (She insists she had no knowledge of any party.)
The way we live now. The rumors were enough to unleash a torrent of misogynistic abuse online against her; Alegrรญa describes the renewed attacks as politically motivated.
Strong language. โFor the last 48 hours Iโve been called a whore, a slut and a cocksucker,โ she wrote on X on Sunday, referring to the messages sheโs received since being mentioned in stories about the alleged party.
Legal response. Alegrรญa says sheโs exploring legal action. โThere are those who are deliberately distorting the facts to hurt me,โ she said on Tuesday (see video above), denouncing the โdeafening misogynyโ behind the attacks and questioning how such rumors and insults can go unchecked.
Broad support. Leaders from most of the political spectrum came out to support her, from PM Sรกnchez to PP boss Alberto Nรบรฑez Feijรณo.
Not good. Sรกnchez called the attacks โa clear example of the hatred that spreads under the cover of online anonymity,โ while Nรบรฑez Feijรณo also condemned them but also said Alegrรญa should have โclarified her whereabouts earlierโ. He also asked the PSOE to show the same concern when PP women, like Madrid regional president Isabel Dรญaz Ayuso, are targeted online, which is fair.
And then thereโs far-right Vox. Because, of course. MP Josรฉ Marรญa Figaredo dismissed her response as โfalse indignation,โ accusing her of trying to distract from her supposed responsibility in the broader corruption investigation tied to รbalos.
4. ๐น Cataloniaโs Sant Jordi drama: Illa ignites separatist fury
Socialist regional president Salvador Illa (who is against Cataloniaโs independence) has ignited backlash from the separatist movement after announcing that heโll open this yearโs Sant Jordi festivities with a public conversation alongside novelist Javier Cercas.
Why you should care. This is a move that critics (i.e. separatists) are calling a symbolic act of โSpanishization.โ Which is a hard word to pronounce in any language.
More than a holiday. For many Catalans, Sant Jordi (Saint Georgeโs Day, which this year lands on April 23) is a cultural cornerstone and a day thatโs long been associated with Catalan identity, language, linguistic rights, and pride. On that day, people gift each other red rosesโand books.
Insult and injury. Illaโs choice to open the event with Cercas, a Spanish-speaking author critical of the procรฉs (the separatist process that included the infamous 2017 illegal referendum) has hit a political nerve. Cercas grew up in Catalonia but his parents are from Extremadura.
Saint who? Sant Jordi is celebrated across Catalonia every year, commemorating the martyrdom of the knight Saint George, who was executed for refusing to persecute Christians in the year 303 (and also killed a dragon!).
Did we mention the dragon? His cult spread throughout the Catalan-speaking regions during the Middle Ages, and in 1456 he was officially declared the patron saint of Catalonia.
So why the fuss? Even though Cercas lives in Girona, he writes exclusively in Spanish and has long rejected the legitimacy of the separatist movement.
As inโฆ In 2021, he compared the procรฉs to the Basque terrorist organization ETA, infuriating pro-independence activists.
Itโs about books. While Illaโs team says the April 22 conversation will be about literature, tradition, and unity, many see it as an effort to reframe Cataloniaโs cultural identity and downplay its nationalist past.
Cue the angry separatists.
Josep Alay, a close ally of outlaw separatist Junts leader Carles Puigdemont, accused Illa of preparing a โSpanish covenโ disguised as cultural dialogue: โCatalonia wonโt be dismantled in six months,โ he wrote on X.
Francesc de Dalmases (an MP also from Junts) went further, calling Cercas a โrevisionist defender of fascismโ and accusing Illa of violating everything Sant Jordi represents. ๐ฑ
Writer Pilar Rahola, in ElNacional.cat, criticized the event and said: โYou want [Catalonia] to be very cosmopolitan, very progressive, to stand up for many things, but also to stop being Catalan.โ
Bigger picture. This isnโt just about one writer or one event. The backlash reflects growing unease among separatists that Illaโs center-left PSC (Catalan socialist party) is reclaiming historically symbolic spaces and holidays.
Getting along or loss of identity? Since Illaโs election as regional boss last year (the first non-separatist one in 14 years), some believe his government is trying to turn the page on years of political polarization and bring Catalonia back into Spainโs institutional fold.
5. ๐
Tiger King, Mallorca edition: Big cats, fake passports and an exotic pet scandal
Fat cats. The big story from the Balearic Islands that didnโt involve overtourism this week? The discovery of an illegal exotic feline breeding and trafficking operation on the island tied to a global smuggling ring.
Intrigue in Meow-llorca (sorry for the pun but had to). Two people were arrested in the small town of Ariany, in Mallorca, for breeding and selling protected feline species, including servals, caracals, and even hybrid cats, many of them trafficked from Eastern Europe.
Guardia Civil officers found 19 big cats on the recluse location, including a purebred caracal, two servals, and 16 hybrid felines. (Have you ever been hissed at by a caracal? Terrifying.) They also seized over 40 animal passports from Russia, Belarus, and China.
Get your cats here! According to Diario de Mallorca, the suspects regularly advertised the sale of โwhite tigers, clouded leopards, Eurasian lynxes, hyenas, black leopards, and pumas on their social media accountsโ. Which is nuts.
Not cheap. People were even willing to pay โฌ60,000 for a black leopard (and for probably having their face eaten).
Only getting started. The operation was reportedly the tip of the iceberg of a larger trafficking network smuggling animals through the Poland-Belarus border.
Cross-breeding. Spainโs Nature Protection Service (SEPRONA) says this network specializes in breeding wild cats with domestic ones to create hybrids (which look great and exotic and are theoretically less dangerous).
Pets? The Guardia Civil says these hybrids are part of a trend popularized in Russia and Ukraine. The animals are bought as pets but often abandoned due to (surprise!) their size, aggression and how expensive it is to keep them.
Why this matters. The EU is one of the worldโs biggest hubs for illegal wildlife trafficking. This operation, which involved not only breeders but also transporters, and vets, stretched across borders and shined a spotlight on a troubling trend: the growing market for exotic pets disguised as luxury status symbols.
The arrested couple faces charges of wildlife crimes, smuggling, document fraud, and organized crime, while the face-eating kitties have been temporarily relocated to Son Serveraโs Safari Zoo before being resettled in a wildlife sanctuary in Alicante. ๐โโฌ
๐ Before you go, please remember to share this newsletter with your friends. The more we grow, the more information weโll be able to offer each week.
๐ Finally, A Message From Our Sponsor
Bucรณlico Cafรฉ is a project of connection that was born as a specialty coffee shop.
We value time and understand that it represents both a cycle and an instantโchronology and nostalgia. Bucรณlico is a space that connects oneโs soul with the purity, lightness and beauty of the countrysideโwhile being in the city. Via a cup of coffee, a piece of cake or a songโฆ
Located on Calle de Barbieri 4 โ a few blocks from Plaza Chueca โ Bucรณlico reassures the soul with a feeling of home.