A cybersquatter is holding the Spanish government to ransom by refusing to give up the domain names of several government ministries unless they agree to transfer water to all of Spain’s drought stricken regions.
Following his re-election last month, the Socialist prime minister Jose Luis Rodriquez Zapatero announced the creation of four new ministries but authorities failed to register their internet addresses and they have been bought by someone else.
An unnamed blogger from Alicante, south-east Spain, has said he will only return the four domain names, which follow the same format as all government ministries, if his demands are met.
He is calling for Mr Zapatero to introduce a nationwide system of transferring water from the River Ebro, which runs from the Pyrenees to the Mediterranean, to all of those regions in Spain that suffer water shortages.
Earlier this month a deal was struck to exclusively supply drought-stricken Barcelona with water from the river, a move that angered other regions who said it gave special concessions to Catalonia.
In a blog posted on the website meant for the newly created ministry of equality, the protestor writes: "Four years ago we had a great National Hydrological plan which would bring water to all the autonomous regions, the construction of which would be financed by entirely with EU funding.
"Zapatero cancelled that plan and now has agreed a project exclusively for Catalonia. Now all Spaniards must pay the bill to guarantee the Catalans have water."
He promises to return the domain name to the Ministry of Equality only after the government corrects "inequalities” in water supply.
A government spokesman said the four ministries were taking action to retrieve the domain names and in the meantime would set up alternative websites.
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