¿Adónde vas, España?
One of the world's most conservative countries has become one of the loopiest: Drive to give 'human' rights to apes leaves Spanish divided.

Here's what the new law entails:

The law would eliminate the concept of "ownership" for great apes, instead placing them under the "moral guardianship" of the state, much as is the case for children in care, the severely handicapped and those in comas, said the MP behind the project, Francisco Garrido.

Great apes held in Spanish zoos would be moved to state-built sanctuaries, unless there was a risk that moving them would harm their emotional welfare, he said.

The law would also make it a criminal offence to mistreat or kill a great ape, except in cases of self-defence or medical euthanasia.

There is at least one certain venerable institution that sees through the absurdity and hypocrisy:

The Roman Catholic Church has expressed concerns about [t]his resolution.

The Archbishop of Pamplona and Tudela, Fernando Sebastian, has said that only a "ridiculous or distorted society" could propose such a law.

"We don't give rights to some people - such as unborn children, human embryos, and we are going to give them to apes," the archbishop said.

What would El Caudillo think?