Spain's king declared unwelcome by northern town

[May 05, 2012]  MADRID (AP) -- A northeastern town has declared the king of Spain an unwelcome person, dealing another blow to the 74-year-old monarch who has faced scalding criticism for going on an elephant hunting trip during a deep financial crisis.

The town council of Berga -- population 17,160 -- approved a motion declaring King Juan Carlos "persona non grata," or not welcome.

The censure was proposed by the pro-independence Popular Unity Candidature party and published, following its approval, on the town's website Saturday. Berga is located 108 kilometers (67 miles) north of Catalonia's regional capital, Barcelona.

The king faced condemnation after breaking a hip while on a lavish safari in Botswana at a time when nearly one in four Spaniards were unemployed.

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.