Having visited in 2019, it was incredibly clean. They charged just a standard transient occupancy tax of I wanna say a few euros a day. But that’s multiplied by 24 million annual visitors staying for multiple nights each. I need to read this article when I get home and see what the new funds are earmarked for, because I remember being happy with everything from cleanliness to safety to transit while I was there.
The “surprise” is because he’s wanted, and is being actively hunted by the Spanish police.
An officer even got arrested for helping him escape, per the article.