Politicians have demanded urgent action against the growing scourge of rat plagues across Malaga city.
Daniel Perez, spokesman for the local PSOE party, blasted the ‘serious unsanitary situation due to the proliferation of rats’, accusing Mayor Francisco de la Torre of ‘inaction’.
It comes just days after expert exterminators warned that ‘mutant’ rats in the city have shown an immunity to rodenticides due to a genetic mutation.
The Socialists have therefore submitted a motion demanding ‘an urgent and extraordinary rat extermination plan and a complete review of the pest control service.’
Their demands were detailed in a press conference held in Maria Luisa Park on Monday, attended by deputy spokesperson Begoña Medina, councillors Salvador Trujillo, Rosa del Mar Rodríguez and Mari Carmen Sanchez, as well as residents of the area.
‘The reality is that Malaga has been overrun with rats,’ Perez said, adding that ‘this is not an isolated case or limited to a single neighbourhood, but a widespread problem affecting the entire city.’
‘Residents constantly tell us about it. They are fed up with seeing rats running freely in the parks, streets, and even in schools,’ he fumed.
He explained that the situation ‘has worsened after the mismanagement of the pest control contract.’
‘For months, the contracted company stopped providing the service due to administrative problems, and the City Council did not react in time,’ he said.
‘The result is that the rats have reproduced uncontrollably, becoming a serious public health problem.’
‘Until very recently, there were only four workers for the entire city, something completely insufficient for a capital city with 11 districts and more than 590,000 inhabitants.
‘This demonstrates De la Torre’s neglect, who still doesn’t understand that municipal management is not just about inaugurating projects, but about taking care of the neighbourhoods, maintaining cleanliness, and guaranteeing the health of the residents.’
The PSOE’s motion, which Begoña Medina will present on Wednesday, includes ‘a request for the immediate implementation of an emergency plan, a review of the contract with the winning bidder, increased staffing, and an information campaign to prevent garbage accumulation that exacerbates the problem.’
‘We demand that the mayor stop looking the other way and act once and for all. The public health of Malaga is at stake,’ she said, warning that ‘the People’s Party’s management of pest control is clearly inefficient,’ and refuting ‘the mayor’s claims about the new service contract.’
Medina claimed: ‘The mayor lied to the people of Malaga when he assured them that the budget allocated to rat and cockroach control would be tripled.
‘He said it would be €1.2 million, but the reality is that the contract was awarded for only €900,000. That is to say, less money, fewer staff, and fewer resources to combat a plague that is spreading throughout the city.’
She also explained that complaints from residents ‘continue to increase’ and that the problem ‘is visible in parks, squares, and schools.’
‘We are in María Luisa Park, where residents tell us that the rats are so big they look like rabbits. And this case is not isolated.’
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