The arrival of María Jesús Montero, PSOE candidate for the Junta de Andalucía, at the funeral of the two civil guards who died in Huelva has been marked by tension. The socialist leader has been received with boos, shouts and reproaches at the doors of the wake installed in the Civil Guard Command.
“Get out of here, we don't want you in Andalusia” or “you only come to get your picture taken” have been some of the shouts that have accompanied his arrival, in a scene charged with indignation and pain.
Outrage over the Government's absence
The discontent has been amplified by the absence of high-level representation from the Government. No minister has attended the event, a decision that has generated strong criticism among professional associations and part of society.
Representing the Executive, the Secretary of State for Security, Aina Calvo, the Director General of the Civil Guard, Mercedes Gómez, and the Government Delegate in Andalusia, Pedro Fernández, have attended.
The absence of the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, has been especially noted and has intensified accusations of "institutional abandonment" towards agents assigned to the fight against drug trafficking.
Criticism from Civil Guard associations
From the association Jucil they have denounced the lack of support for the personnel operating on the Andalusian coasts, demanding “urgent measures” to reinforce their safety.
According to warnings, Maritime Service agents are “increasingly exposed to violent and better-organized criminal organizations”, in a context of growing drug trafficking pressure in the area.
A funeral marked by pain
Beyond the controversy, the day has been dominated by emotion. The church became too small for the influx of colleagues, family members, and citizens who wanted to bid farewell to the two officers, Germán Pérez and Jerónimo Jiménez.
The most overwhelming moment was starred by Luisa, widow of Germán Pérez, who carried her husband's coffin “as a woman and as a companion,” since she also belongs to the Civil Guard.
Both deceased were part of the Maritime Service, on the front line against drug trafficking, and lost their lives after a pursuit against a drug-trafficking boat in the waters of Huelva.
A Warning from the Church
During the ceremony, the bishop of Huelva, Santiago Gómez Sierra, gave voice to the widespread discontent with a forceful message: “Faced with drug trafficking, it is a grave irresponsibility to look the other way”.
The prelate has called on institutions to provide security forces with the necessary means to confront an organized crime that is increasingly powerful and dangerous.
The farewell of the agents has thus left a double image: the homage to those who risk their lives in the fight against drug trafficking and the political tension over the management and institutional support for these bodies.