The Spanish government asks for "unity" from the PP to preserve coexistence in Ceuta

MadridFollowing an unprecedented escalation of tension in Ceuta – a group of demonstrators burned down a migrant camp on Thursday and prevented the Red Cross from bringing them food – the main political forces have condemned the violence and called for calm.

The Spanish government has asked for "unity" from the Popular Party to "preserve coexistence," in the words of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, who appeared before Congress. A request that, despite differences over crisis management, the Popular Party has also accepted. "Whoever thinks that violence, harassing journalists, or blocking the Red Cross helps Ceuta is mistaken," said the PP deputy for Ceuta, Javier Celay, to the Interior Committee, although he once again spoke of "invaders" to refer to the immigrants and assured that the scenes of violence present those who entered irregularly as victims, when the "victims are the people of Ceuta" – reports Núria Rius Montaner. Elías Bendondo, deputy secretary of the PP, sent a message of "calm" on behalf of the national leadership.

From Ceuta, they have also condemned the violence, and the PP's Ceuta president, Juan Jesús Vivas, along with the rest of the political groups, have called for peaceful demonstrations. "No one should take justice into their own hands," said Vivas in a statement to the press. All spokespeople with representation in the autonomous city's assembly have signed a joint declaration in which they ask the Spanish government to "act immediately" to restore normality and condemn with "total forcefulness" the use of violence in citizen demonstrations.

The committee specialized in the situation in the autonomous city, under the leadership of Spanish President Pedro Sánchez, also sent a message early in the day condemning the violence, adding that food distribution to vulnerable people must be ensured. "We cannot allow those who exercise a commitment to solidarity to be intimidated," said later the Minister of Social Security and Migrations, Elma Saiz, who also appeared before Congress this Friday. Several NGOs have expressed their "concern" about the violent turn of events in the autonomous city and have asked the administrations to guarantee security.

However, beyond calling for unity, the Spanish government also places the responsibility for the outbreak of tension in Ceuta on the PP and Vox, whom they accuse of making "hate speeches." The most explicit was Marlaska: "The far-right and now also the right speak of invaders, of hunting immigrants, and of deporting hospitalized people. It is incompatible with democratic principles and human dignity." Thus, he criticized the "partisan attempts" dedicated to "disinforming, inciting hatred, and confrontation between people." In turn, popular deputy Sofía Acedo had a tough debate with Elma Saiz. When the minister asked her to condemn violence, Acedo, from Melilla, asked her to condemn the sexual assaults that have occurred in Ceuta.

And it is that from the PP they have also been forceful this Friday against the government. The popular deputy secretary, Elías Bendodo, asked the ministers to "stop talking nonsense" and to focus on Ceuta, which they are "a month late" on. "Pedro Sánchez is only concerned with his political survival – he sentenced –. His job is to protect the borders."

Albares points to the "reactionary international"

One of the issues that has continued to be the focus of this Friday's appearances in Congress has been the origin of the Ceuta crisis. The head of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, began by reviewing the events of July 30 and, as the rest of the ministers have done, placed the origin of the massive entry of immigrants in the manipulation of the Supreme Court ruling of July 8, which rejected hot returns if entry was by sea.

Thus, he said that there was both a viralization of fake news –such as that the borders were open – by groups linked to immigration, and an amplification by users of the "reactionary international" from the United States and also from Russia. He assured that "it is no coincidence that between July 27 and August 10, 52% of the conversation on X about Ceuta was in Spanish but nearly 40% in English", and added that it is all an "attack" by those who want to weaken Spain and the EU. "It was a migratory and humanitarian crisis, but, unlike previous ones, it was conceived and propelled by an unprecedented viralization and instrumentalized by a reactionary international that wants to fracture Europe", he said, citing "mega-influencers" conservatives like Elon Musk.

And Morocco? Albares continued to defend it before the astonishment of all the groups. The minister spoke of an "essential cooperation" by the Moroccan regime and minimized the territorial claims of Ceuta and Melilla by the Alaouite government. He recounted that he himself conveyed to them the rejection of these claims and guaranteed that the two autonomous cities will continue to be Spanish because Spain's territorial integrity is not negotiable.