A small municipality in central Spain is offering low-cost building plots in an effort to attract new residents and reverse long-term population decline. Olmeda de la Cuesta, in the province of Cuenca, has introduced an initiative allowing buyers to acquire land at reduced prices as part of a wider strategy to encourage settlement in the area. The village forms part of Spain’s broader “España vaciada” movement, which refers to rural regions affected by decades of depopulation as younger generations move towards urban centres.

Local authorities have turned to land sales and settlement incentives in response to shrinking populations and limited economic activity. The initiative has drawn attention beyond Spain, with reports highlighting the unusually low price of available plots and the municipality’s attempt to reposition itself as a viable option for remote workers and families seeking a quieter lifestyle.

What the scheme involves

The scheme in Olmeda de la Cuesta involves the sale of municipal land at significantly reduced prices compared with urban property markets. The aim is to make homebuilding more accessible and to encourage long-term residency rather than short-term tourism. According to reports, the council has made building plots available through a structured allocation process, with conditions attached to ensure that land is used for residential development.

The measures are designed to prevent speculative purchasing and to prioritise individuals or families willing to relocate permanently. Local officials have framed the initiative as part of a long-term strategy to maintain essential services and avoid further population loss. As with many rural areas in Spain, the village faces challenges linked to ageing populations, limited employment opportunities and the gradual closure of local infrastructure.

What life is like in Olmeda de la Cuesta

Olmeda de la Cuesta is a small municipality in Castilla-La Mancha, located in a mountainous rural area. While population figures vary depending on classification, it is widely described in reporting as a sparsely populated village with a strong focus on agriculture and land management. The settlement has undergone previous efforts to modernise infrastructure and attract new residents, including improvements to housing stock and public spaces.

Despite this, population numbers remain low, highlighting a wider issue across inland Spain where rural communities continue to decline in size. The latest land offer is intended to address this directly by making relocation financially feasible for people who may otherwise be priced out of home ownership in cities or larger towns.

Targeting remote workers and new settlers

The initiative is particularly aimed at individuals and families who can work remotely or who are willing to relocate for lifestyle reasons. Spanish rural councils have increasingly looked towards remote workers as a potential solution to depopulation, especially following the rise in flexible working arrangements.

In addition to attracting private buyers, the scheme also seeks to encourage small-scale business activity in the area. Local authorities have suggested that new residents could contribute to maintaining services and supporting the local economy through everyday spending and community participation.

Part of a wider local efforts across rural Spain 

The situation in Olmeda de la Cuesta reflects a much wider national issue in Spain, where rural depopulation has affected large parts of the interior. Many villages face similar pressures, including reduced access to healthcare, fewer schools and limited transport links.

In response, various municipalities have introduced incentives ranging from cheap housing to tax reductions and job offers. These initiatives aim to stabilise or reverse population decline, although results have been mixed depending on location and economic conditions. Olmeda de la Cuesta’s land offer sits within this wider pattern of local-level interventions rather than a central government programme, with each municipality tailoring its approach based on available resources.

Outlook for rural repopulation efforts

While such schemes generate interest, long-term success depends on sustained migration and economic viability. Rural councils continue to face the challenge of balancing affordability with the need to create lasting employment opportunities and infrastructure improvements.

For Olmeda de la Cuesta, the land initiative represents a continuation of efforts to maintain community viability in an area where population density remains extremely low. Whether the offer results in permanent settlement will depend on demand from individuals willing to relocate and build homes in a remote rural setting.

The Portuguese Order of Veterinarians (Ordem dos Médicos Veterinários, OMV) has issued guidance stating that veterinary professionals cannot treat humans under any circumstances, including individuals who identify as animals. The clarification is part of internal professional guidance designed to support clinics when faced with unusual or unclear requests, rather than a change in legislation or regulatory expansion.

The OMV reaffirmed that veterinary medicine in Portugal is legally limited to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease in non-human animals. Human healthcare remains exclusively within the remit of medical doctors and other licensed health professionals. The guidance was issued following discussion of “therian” identity in online spaces, although there are no reported incidents in Portugal involving veterinary clinics being approached by individuals identifying as therians.

What a “therian” is and how the term is used

A therian is a person who identifies, in a personal or psychological sense, as a non-human animal. The term originates from “therianthropy”, a concept used in online communities to describe individuals who experience a strong internal identification with an animal species or perceive aspects of their identity as animal-like in nature. It is generally understood as a self-described identity rather than a medical condition or psychiatric diagnosis.

The OMV referenced the term only to clarify the limits of veterinary practice. Veterinary professionals are trained and legally authorised to treat animals only, and cannot assess or treat human patients under any circumstances. Any health concerns involving humans must be directed to medical or psychological services.

Portuguese media reports indicate that the guidance was issued as a preventive measure, rather than in response to confirmed incidents in clinical practice.

No confirmed cases in Portugal or verified international clinical records

There are no verified reports in Portugal of veterinarians being asked to treat individuals identifying as therians. The OMV has not cited any specific incidents, and the guidance appears to have been issued to avoid misunderstanding in clinical environments.

There are also no confirmed cases recorded in official veterinary or medical documentation internationally of individuals identifying as therians presenting to veterinary clinics for treatment as animals. However, there are viral videos and social media posts circulating online that appear to show individuals attending veterinary clinics or attempting to be seen in that context.

In these recordings, veterinarians typically explain that their services are restricted to animals and that they cannot provide treatment to humans. These videos are shared widely across social media platforms, but they are not supported by regulatory findings, clinical case reports or verified institutional records. They are generally regarded as isolated anecdotal situations that gained visibility online rather than evidence of a documented trend in veterinary practice.

Online identity terminology entering professional guidance

The inclusion of “therian” terminology in veterinary guidance reflects the way online identity language has become more visible in public discourse. These identity labels are primarily used within online communities and forums, where individuals describe personal experiences or affiliations linked to non-human animals.

Professional bodies in healthcare and related fields sometimes address such terminology when it intersects with regulated services. In this case, the veterinary authority’s statement is focused on ensuring that practitioners clearly understand the boundaries of their professional responsibilities rather than responding to established clinical cases.

Legal separation between veterinary and human healthcare

The OMV reiterated that veterinary medicine is defined in law as the treatment of animals. Human healthcare is regulated separately and delivered only by qualified medical and mental health professionals.

The guidance stresses that personal identity does not alter this distinction. Even if an individual identifies as a non-human animal, veterinary professionals remain unable to provide treatment or clinical assessment.

Clarification of professional responsibilities

The purpose of the guidance is to ensure consistent responses across veterinary practice in Portugal when faced with unfamiliar or unusual requests. It is intended to remove ambiguity rather than introduce new rules or sanctions.

The OMV has not suggested that therian identity represents a medical issue within veterinary practice. Instead, it has focused on reaffirming established legal limits so that veterinary professionals can respond clearly and appropriately in all clinical settings.

Spaniards are now spending more than four hours online every day on average, with mobile phones becoming increasingly central to daily life, according to a major new study into digital habits in Spain. The findings suggest that internet use in Spain is continuing to intensify, particularly through smartphones, social media platforms and artificial intelligence tools. The figures come from the 28th edition of the “Navegantes en la Red” report, based on 15,000 surveys carried out at the end of 2025.

The report found that 91 per cent of Spaniards access the internet primarily through their mobile phone, while almost half described themselves as being connected “almost constantly”. More than half of respondents, 55.1 per cent, said they could not live without their mobile phone, and 36.5 per cent admitted checking it compulsively. Researchers linked the increase in screen time to heavier use of streaming platforms, podcasts, social media and AI-powered applications.

Social media dominates daily online behaviour

Social media continues to dominate online behaviour in Spain. The report found that 87 per cent of internet users access social media every day, while 42.5 per cent spend more than an hour daily on those platforms alone. Instagram remained the country’s most widely used social network, used by 75 per cent of social media users, followed by Facebook on 58.9 per cent and TikTok on 41.3 per cent.

The study also highlighted the growing influence of online personalities. More than half of those surveyed said they follow influencers, YouTubers or streamers regularly. Podcast listening has also continued to rise in Spain. Radio podcasts are now listened to for an average of 49 minutes a day, while other podcast formats average 56 minutes daily. Spotify remained the most-used podcast platform, followed by radio station services and YouTube Music.

Artificial intelligence use rises sharply in Spain

Artificial intelligence usage has risen significantly in Spain over the past year. According to the report, 77.8 per cent of respondents had used AI applications at least once, an increase of more than 17 percentage points compared with the previous year. More than a third now use AI tools every day. People most commonly used AI for online searches, text generation, document summaries, translations and image creation.

Among AI platforms, OpenAI’s ChatGPT remained the most widely used service, reaching 74.2 per cent of AI users, although its lead narrowed slightly compared with the previous year. Google’s Gemini platform rose significantly to 41.9 per cent following strong annual growth. Despite the rapid adoption of AI, many users expressed concern about reliability and ethics. Seven in ten AI users said they had received incorrect information from these systems, while 60.5 per cent said they were worried about the wider implications of AI technology. More than half also believed there was excessive hype surrounding the sector.

Parents support tighter online protections for children

Concerns about children’s internet use were another major theme of the report. Nearly two-thirds of parents reported using parental controls, while there was broad support for age verification systems on adult websites. The restriction of screens in schools also received strong public backing, with 83 per cent supporting limits on device use in classrooms.

The findings reflect emerging concerns across Europe about the effects of constant connectivity on younger generations and the growing challenge of balancing digital access with online safety.

Internet habits in Spain now mirror trends in the UK

Spain’s internet habits now closely mirror those seen in the United Kingdom. According to Ofcom, British adults spent an average of four and a half hours online each day in 2025, slightly higher than the figure reported in Spain. Younger adults in the UK, particularly those aged between 18 and 24, averaged more than six hours online daily.

The UK study also found that smartphones accounted for the vast majority of online activity, reflecting a similar shift away from desktop internet use.  Women in Britain were found to spend more time online than men across every adult age group. While internet use has become deeply embedded in everyday life across Europe, both the Spanish and British reports point to growing concerns about dependency, misinformation and the impact of digital technology on daily routines.