The Asturian 'Hermit': collecting €2,500 a month
A 93-year-old man living in an Asturian village without electricity or running water is said to receive a €2,500 pension. The true story behind the viral hermit.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Federico, the supposed Asturian hermit collecting €2,500
In a corner of Asturias, a 93-year-old man lives without electricity, running water, or paved roads. Reports portray him as a hermit maintaining a lifestyle from a century ago. But what is not told is that, according to several sources, he has been receiving a pension of €2,500 per month since his early retirement at age 55. The story, viral on social media, hides a plot more complex than a simple ancestral life.
The Story They Sell vs. Federico's Reality
Federico is the name neighbors give to the elderly protagonist of the videos. He lives in La Yana'l Pumar, a village in the Asturian mining basin, about 17 kilometers from Mieres. According to some analyses, he has been living there alone for the past 30 years. However, he is not completely isolated: there are more houses one kilometer away, and he goes into town to buy groceries. He has people who bring him food and visit him periodically.
The Pension Battle: Early Retirement from Aceralia or Farmer?
The account of life without amenities clashes with revelations about his sustenance. Some sources suggest that Federico worked for Aceralia and took early retirement at age 55, collecting around €2,500 monthly since then. Other versions indicate that he dedicated his entire life to farming, selling cattle in local markets. The doubt becomes a background theme: the early retirement packages from the industrial reconversion of the 80s and 90s. Companies like Altos Hornos and La Naval closed down with European funds to pay these early pensions. The cost of keeping them open was higher than simply letting the workers go home. Thus, the 'hermit' could be a product of that economic policy that dismantled Spanish industry.
The Modern Hermit's Business
Youtubers and journalists travel to La Yana'l Pumar to film the elderly man. Each visit is a click, a romanticized story of return to nature. But the influx of curious onlookers threatens his peace. Federico himself has asked to be left alone, though media attention does not cease. The reality is that, despite the wonder regarding his lifestyle, there is an old man simply living in the place where he was born, with external aid and a pension.
The Depopulated Spain Not Antiestéticatured in Reports
Federico is not a unique case. In Asturias and Galicia, there are countless villages with only four houses inhabited by elderly people who do not want to move away from their children. They prefer to stay until the village bar closes.
The difference is that some of them are made visible, and others are not. Federico's media projection makes his case a symbol, but also turns him into a victim of his own fame.
Meanwhile, Federico continues with his routines, unaware of the debate he has caused. Perhaps it would be wiser to leave him alone, or at least wonder why we are so fascinated by him. Perhaps the fascination with this hermit says more about us than it does about him.
In a corner of Asturias, a 93-year-old man lives without electricity, running water, or paved roads. Reports portray him as a hermit maintaining a lifestyle from a century ago. But what is not told is that, according to several sources, he has been receiving a pension of €2,500 per month since his early retirement at age 55. The story, viral on social media, hides a plot more complex than a simple ancestral life.
The Story They Sell vs. Federico's Reality
Federico is the name neighbors give to the elderly protagonist of the videos. He lives in La Yana'l Pumar, a village in the Asturian mining basin, about 17 kilometers from Mieres. According to some analyses, he has been living there alone for the past 30 years. However, he is not completely isolated: there are more houses one kilometer away, and he goes into town to buy groceries. He has people who bring him food and visit him periodically.
The Pension Battle: Early Retirement from Aceralia or Farmer?
The account of life without amenities clashes with revelations about his sustenance. Some sources suggest that Federico worked for Aceralia and took early retirement at age 55, collecting around €2,500 monthly since then. Other versions indicate that he dedicated his entire life to farming, selling cattle in local markets. The doubt becomes a background theme: the early retirement packages from the industrial reconversion of the 80s and 90s. Companies like Altos Hornos and La Naval closed down with European funds to pay these early pensions. The cost of keeping them open was higher than simply letting the workers go home. Thus, the 'hermit' could be a product of that economic policy that dismantled Spanish industry.
The Modern Hermit's Business
Youtubers and journalists travel to La Yana'l Pumar to film the elderly man. Each visit is a click, a romanticized story of return to nature. But the influx of curious onlookers threatens his peace. Federico himself has asked to be left alone, though media attention does not cease. The reality is that, despite the wonder regarding his lifestyle, there is an old man simply living in the place where he was born, with external aid and a pension.
The Depopulated Spain Not Antiestéticatured in Reports
Federico is not a unique case. In Asturias and Galicia, there are countless villages with only four houses inhabited by elderly people who do not want to move away from their children. They prefer to stay until the village bar closes.
The difference is that some of them are made visible, and others are not. Federico's media projection makes his case a symbol, but also turns him into a victim of his own fame.
Meanwhile, Federico continues with his routines, unaware of the debate he has caused. Perhaps it would be wiser to leave him alone, or at least wonder why we are so fascinated by him. Perhaps the fascination with this hermit says more about us than it does about him.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (130 replies).
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