Editing Juan Carlos I (section)

==== Botswana hunting trip ====
In April 2012, Juan Carlos faced criticism for an elephant-hunting trip in [[Botswana]].<ref name="guardian120415">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/apr/15/spain-king-juan-carlos-hunting |title=Spain's King Juan Carlos under fire over elephant hunting trip |first=Giles |last=Tremlett |work=The Guardian |date=15 April 2012 |location=London}}</ref><ref name="tg120412">{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/9204680/King-Juan-Carlos-of-Spain-operated-on-after-elephant-hunting-accident..html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/9204680/King-Juan-Carlos-of-Spain-operated-on-after-elephant-hunting-accident..html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=King Juan Carlos of Spain operated on after 'elephant hunting' accident. |first=Fiona |last=Govan |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=14 April 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="nyt120415">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/17/world/europe/king-of-spain-has-hip-surgery-after-hunting-trip.html |title=Spanish King's Hip Surgery Follows Controversial Hunting Trip |first=Raphael |last=Minder |work=The New York Times |date=15 April 2012}}</ref> The public found out about the trip only after the King injured himself and a special aircraft was sent to bring him home.<ref>[https://www.economist.com/news/europe/21603486-rights-wrongs-abdication-and-legacy-king-juan-carlos-winds-change Winds of change: The rights, wrongs, abdication and legacy of King Juan Carlos], ''The Economist''.</ref> Spanish officials stated that the expenses of the trip were not paid by taxpayers or by the palace, but by Mohamed Eyad Kayali, a businessman of [[Syrian people|Syrian]] origin. Cayo Lara Moya of the United Left party said the King's trip "demonstrated a lack of ethics and respect toward many people in this country who are suffering a lot"<ref name="nyt120415" /> while Tomás Gómez of the Socialist party said Juan Carlos should choose between "public responsibilities or an abdication".<ref name="bbcrow" /> In April 2012, Spain's unemployment was at 23% and nearly 50% for young workers.<ref name="ap120415" /> ''[[El País]]'' estimated the total cost of a hunting trip at €44,000, about twice the average annual salary in Spain.<ref name="ap120415">{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/15/spanish-king-elephant-hunting-injures-hip-surgery_n_1426588.html |title=Spanish King Juan Carlos Elephant-Hunting Trip Causes Outrage, Injures Hip in Botswana And Requires Surgery |first=Harold |last=Heckle |agency=Associated Press |work=HuffPost |date=15 April 2012}}</ref> A petition called for the king to resign from his position as honorary president of the Spanish branch of the [[World Wide Fund for Nature]].<ref name="bbcrow">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17730857 |title=Row over hunting trip for Spanish King Juan Carlos |work=BBC News |date=16 April 2012}}</ref> The WWF itself responded by asking for an interview with the King to resolve the situation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldwildlife.org/who/media/press/2012/WWFPresitem27728.html |title=WWF asks to speak to king |publisher=Worldwildlife.org |access-date=2 June 2014}}</ref> In July 2012, [[WWF Spain]] held a meeting in Madrid and decided with 226 votes to 13 to remove the King from its honorary presidency.<ref name="ap120721">{{cite news |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/spains-king-juan-carlos-ousted-as-honorary-world-wildlife-fund-president-after-elephant-hunt/2012/07/21/gJQAsyAC0W_story.html |title=Spain king ousted as honorary president of World Wildlife Fund branch after elephant hunt |agency=Associated Press |newspaper=The Washington Post |location=Madrid |date=21 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120723051920/http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/spains-king-juan-carlos-ousted-as-honorary-world-wildlife-fund-president-after-elephant-hunt/2012/07/21/gJQAsyAC0W_story.html |archive-date=23 July 2012 |url-status=dead |access-date=11 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2012/09/23/spain-king-juan-carlos-meets-with-bill-clinton/ |title=Spain's King Juan Carlos meets with Bill Clinton |publisher=Fox News Channel |date=23 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140605060527/http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2012/09/23/spain-king-juan-carlos-meets-with-bill-clinton/ |archive-date=5 June 2014 }}</ref> He later apologised for the hunting trip.<ref name="ft12">{{cite news |last=Mailet |first=Victor |title=Spanish king apologises for hunting trip |url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/01ff463e-8954-11e1-85af-00144feab49a.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/01ff463e-8954-11e1-85af-00144feab49a.html |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |access-date=7 May 2012 |newspaper=Financial Times |date=18 April 2012}}</ref>

Up until the Botswana elephant trip, Juan Carlos had enjoyed a high level of shielding from media scrutiny, described as "rare among Western leaders".<ref name=EoghanGilmartin>{{Cite web|url=https://jacobinmag.com/2020/07/monarchism-spain-king-corruption|website=[[Jacobin (magazine)|Jacobin]]|title=Spain's Former King Has Fled, But His Cronyism Remains|date=4 August 2018|last=Gilmartin|first=Eoghan}}</ref>