AN UNEMPLOYED father has gone on hunger strike to renegotiate his mortgage.
Santiago Cortes, a construction worker by trade, has refused food since he started his action last Wednesday.
The father-of-four, who has been out of work for ten months, is living at his local parish church in Granada for the duration of the hunger strike.
Cortes has payments amounting to 520 euros a month but only receives an unemployment subsidy of 400 euros.
He hopes the action will highlight the economic problems many people are experiencing and bring his bank to the table to renegotiate payments.
So far his bank, which is not being named, has not responded to increasing pressure to call a meeting.
Members of the local community are offering support as they are equally worried about their financial situations.
“If the bank does not give in, I will leave this church severely weakened,” said Cortes. “But I will continue for as long as I can.”
By the way – he lost the case