The president of Ceuta, Juan Vivas, took advantage of this Wednesday's institutional event for the Day of the Autonomous City to urge that Morocco be demanded to respect "the territorial integrity" of the city "with the due firmness and clarity." The Ceuta leader has accused the neighboring country of maintaining the "non-negotiable objective of asphyxiation, harassment, and the demolition of our two cities," also referring to Melilla.
Vivas has claimed that what happened with the recent massive entry of migrants marks "a before and after" for both Ceuta and the whole of Spain. He emphasized that the immediate priority must be to recover "the urgent, immediate normality," warning that "Ceuta can’t take it anymore."
During his speech at the Revellín Auditorium Theater, where the official event for the Day of Ceuta has been held since 12:00, the autonomous president stressed that what happened "is not a migratory crisis," but an episode that affects "the very core of national security."
In his view, there has been a violation of "the territorial integrity of Spain" and he pointed out that "few things have happened that are more serious than this in Spain." The leader insisted that there are still "many questions in the air" and defended the need to know "the truth," although he considered that this day was not the right time to enter into that debate.
"Only from the truth can we build the future," he emphasized, before reiterating that all energies must now be directed to "get Ceuta out of the ICU."
Vivas's words have been supported several times by the audience gathered at the Revellín Auditorium Theater. His speech has been interrupted by applause and cheers, including shouts of "president" and "you are worth it."
The event was attended by the Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres; the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz; and the Government delegate in Ceuta, Miguel Ángel Pérez Triano. None of the three joined in the rounds of applause that Vivas's speech has repeatedly elicited from the attendees.
The presence of the Government delegate has generated moments of tension with part of the audience. Pérez Triano has been booed at various moments during the event, in clear contrast to the ovations dedicated to the Ceuta president.
Demand for firmness against Morocco
The president of the City has focused a good part of his speech on the relationship with Morocco and has demanded that it be required "with the due firmness and clarity" respect for the territorial integrity of Ceuta and, by extension, of its border. This demand, he added, must be accompanied by the strengthening of the deterrent capabilities of the city "in all fields".
Vivas has warned that the control and surveillance of the border "cannot be in the hands of Morocco," but rather of Spain and the European Union. To this end, he has called for undertaking the necessary infrastructure works and providing more personal, material, and technological resources.
In this context, the president has also defended the return of all the people who have entered Ceuta during the migration crisis. "Everyone must be returned," he insisted, because, in his opinion, if this is not done "there will always be someone who has the temptation to use the migratory tool for political purposes."
"This must have a before and an after," Vivas reiterated, who has described what happened as an "invasion" and emphasized that the objective must be to prevent an episode of this nature from happening again.
"Ceuta is in danger" and demands more presence of the State
"Ceuta is in danger," he proclaimed at the beginning of his speech, recalling that the city has suffered, in his own words, "an attack on our territorial integrity" with the massive entry of nearly 80,000 people in just 48 hours, a figure that he equated to the total population of the city.
Vivas has described the city as "sad, wounded, indignant, with its soul in suspense, but standing."
The president has demanded that the State not withdraw from Ceuta, but rather reinforce its presence in areas such as Defense, Security, Justice, Health, and Education. He has also requested more investments in equipment, infrastructure, housing, and social inclusion in order to bring the levels of prosperity and well-being of the people of Ceuta closer to those of the rest of Spanish citizens.
He has advocated for an economic model based on "more Spain and more Europe," with measures such as the improvement of the special Economic and Fiscal Regime, the reduction of communication costs, the promotion of vocational training, and the attraction of talent.