Margarita Robles has opened today in Congress the round of appearances of the Government regarding the Ceuta crisis with apologies directed to the citizens who may have felt "abandoned" and a message about the Spanish sovereignty of the autonomous cities: "Ceuta and Melilla are Spanish; let no one forget it or doubt it." The Minister of Defense has guaranteed that the State will respond "firmly" to any violation of its security. (((Follow here live the intervention of Minister Robles)))
Robles appears at her own request before the Defense Commission to explain the actions of her department since the massive entry of migrants recorded from July 30. She is the first member of the Executive to attend Congress within the extraordinary round of explanations about the crisis, according to the official calendar of the Lower House.
The minister has begun her intervention by acknowledging the situation that the Ceuta population has experienced in recent weeks. "I have known firsthand your situation of anguish and insecurity," she has pointed out before conveying her "apologies" to those who may have felt abandoned.
Robles personally visited Ceuta on August 12 and during that trip maintained direct contact with residents of the city who expressed their fear and uncertainty about the consequences of the massive entry.
"Any aggression against Ceuta or Melilla is against all of Spain"
A central part of her first intervention has been dedicated to the sovereignty of the two autonomous cities, after Morocco has publicly raised its claims about them again.
"Ceuta and Melilla are Spanish; let no one forget it or doubt it," Robles has stated. The minister has gone further by asserting that "any aggression against Ceuta or Melilla is against all of Spain because our sovereignty and territorial integrity are untouchable".
Defense considers that guaranteeing the security of both cities is the responsibility of the State. Robles has assured the deputies that Spain will respond with "firmness" to any violation of that security.
The position maintains the line that the minister had already set during the last weeks. Robles had assured that "Ceuta and Melilla are Spanish, very Spanish, and they are not to be touched" and demanded from Morocco an investigation that goes "to the end" to determine what happened in the days before and during the massive entry.
Robles focuses on the human cost of the crisis
The minister has also dedicated part of her speech to the human consequences of what happened. She has acknowledged that there is still no definitive number of deceased and has remembered the people who lost their lives trying to reach Spanish territory.
"We are facing a situation that, in addition to its obvious security consequences, has a human dimension that we cannot and must not forget," she has pointed out.
Robles has defended the need to move towards a coordinated policy of the European Union that allows for a "effective and firm" management of borders combined with the protection of migrants.
The minister had already hardened her speech in recent days regarding the circumstances in which thousands of people were led to the border. She considered it "unacceptable" that people and minors are used "throwing them to death" and warned that those who have organized, consented, or tolerated those actions must assume responsibilities.
Closed defense of the CNI
Another of the central issues of the appearance is what the National Intelligence Center knew before July 30 and what information it conveyed to the Government.
Robles has so far defended the work of the intelligence services. She has conveyed her "recognition" and "gratitude" to the members of the CNI, the Intelligence Center of the Armed Forces (CIFAS), and the information services of the National Police and the Civil Guard, highlighting that they work under especially difficult conditions.
The issue has special political relevance because information has emerged pointing to prior warnings from the intelligence services about the risk of a massive entry, while the Interior has maintained a different interpretation of the scope of those alerts.
Robles has avoided revealing classified information about the functioning of the CNI, but has insisted on the coordination between Spanish services and those of other countries and has reiterated her request to Morocco to clarify what happened.
Morocco, one of the questions that remain open
Robles' intervention places Morocco in a particularly delicate position within the Government's explanations.
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The Minister of Defense has not directly accused the Moroccan Government of organizing the massive entry, but has demanded that Rabat investigate the facts and has pointed out that whoever has been behind it, has consented to it, or has tolerated it must assume responsibilities.
This position introduces a nuance regarding the caution maintained by other members of the Executive when it comes to establishing Moroccan responsibilities. Robles has publicly insisted that it must be known what happened and who allowed thousands of people, including minors, to be used to try to access Ceuta.
The appearance continues and the responses from the minister to the parliamentary groups regarding the prior warnings from the CNI, the specific role of Morocco, the conditions of the military deployment, and the complaints from professional associations about the accommodation of the forces deployed to Ceuta are still pending.
She will also have to face questions about the outbreak of scabies recorded among military personnel. Defense has so far dissociated those infections from direct contact with migrants.
This Tuesday's session is the first in a series of appearances with which the Government intends to explain its actions by departments in response to the crisis. Congress had officially summoned Robles at 12:30 p.m. to report on "the management of its competencies in relation to the events that occurred in the Autonomous City of Ceuta on July 30 and thereafter".
KEYWORD OBJECTIVE: Margarita Robles Ceuta
SECONDARY KEYWORDS: Robles Congress, Ceuta crisis, CNI Ceuta, Morocco Ceuta, Armed Forces Ceuta
META TITLE: Robles apologizes to Ceuta and warns: "It is untouchable"
META DESCRIPTION: .
URL: robles-congreso-ceuta
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I would update it when it ends because it is precisely the potentially most newsworthy responses that are missing: what she says about the CNI warnings, whether she specifies what Defense knew before the 30th, and how far she goes in pointing to Morocco. (LaSexta)