Spain’s Robin Hood takes anti-capitalist stand

A Spanish man is being hailed as the country’s very own Robin Hood after he took out dozens of loans worth almost half a million Euros – with no intention of ever paying them back.

 

Instead, Enric Duran donated the money to projects that created and promoted alternatives to capitalism. He gave the money to social activists, funding anti-capitalist speaking tours and TV cameras for a media network.

Between 2006 to 2008, Duran took out 68 commercial and personal loans from 39 banks in Spain.

Duran, who has been in hiding for 14 months, is unapologetic for his actions even though they could land him in prison.

After charges were brought against him by six of the banks involved Duran was arrested in Spain in 2009.

After two months in prison he was bailed for €50,000 and in February2013, facing up to eight years in prison, Duran made the decision to go into hiding rather than stand trial.

Via Skype, and from an undisclosed location, Duran told UK newspaper The Guardian: “I don’t see legitimacy in a judicial system based on authority, because I don’t recognise its authority.

“I’m proud of this action. It generated a movement that allowed us to push forward with the construction of alternatives. And it allowed us to build a powerful network that groups together these initiatives.”

Duran described his actions as being at the vanguard of a worldwide debate on the economic crisis and maintains that the timing pushed the anti-capitalist movement into the light.

Duran argues that the success of his swindling has helped the anti-capitalist movement become self-sufficient.

He said: “We now have the capacity to generate resources, to advance and generate a situation that allows you to be independent”.

Duran now wants to help the system to function better, and thinks that he could share his insights, gleaned from years of obtaining bank loans fraudulently, on “which best practices work and the bad ones that don’t for the general population and for bank workers”.

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