Morocco's Role in the Ceuta Crisis Unveiled
Juan Jesús Vivas, the president of Ceuta, has placed Morocco at the heart of the crisis that led to the mass entry of tens of thousands of individuals into Ceuta last July. During his testimony before Judge María Tardón of the National Court, Vivas asserted that Morocco poses a "direct threat to Spain's interests." He emphasized that Ceuta did not receive any prior alerts that would have allowed for the anticipation of the scale of the events that unfolded, according to sources familiar with the case as reported by elindependiente.com.
Vivas appeared as a witness, where he reviewed communications with the government during the days leading up to and including the mass entry on July 30. After his session at the National Court, he expressed satisfaction with his ability to explain the events and noted the judge and prosecution's "involvement and determination" to clarify the situation. He stated, "The citizens of Ceuta have the right to know the truth," calling the incident the most severe national security issue in Spain in the last fifty years.
The Ceuta president reiterated the term "invasion" when referring to the mass entry, warning that "if Ceuta sinks, all of Spain sinks." One of the critical points in his testimony revolved around the government's actions on July 27, 28, and 29. Vivas recounted that he attempted to communicate with the Prime Minister up to ten times through calls and messages before the mass entry occurred, but only three of those attempts were successful, all facilitated by the Prime Minister's chief of staff. During these communications, he was told that the situation was being handled, more time was needed, and that the appropriate channel for communication should be through the Government Delegation rather than directly with the Prime Minister’s office.
Government Response and Ceuta's Urgent Needs
On July 27, a meeting took place at the Government Delegation, attended by the delegate, the Chief of Police, and a representative from the Civil Guard, along with Vivas and his team. Vivas demanded an increase in the security forces, the declaration of a national emergency, and the establishment of a unified command. On July 28, he reiterated these requests, escalating the situation to various government departments and requesting discussions with officials from the Interior, Territorial Policy, Security, and Defense. By July 29, as the influx continued, Vivas publicly reported that over 1,500 individuals had entered Ceuta, with more than 200 entries occurring daily.
When questioned about whether he anticipated such a large influx, Vivas stated he was unaware of the information available to the central government, asserting that the local government was only aware of the number of arrivals. Sources familiar with his testimony indicated that one of the key points conveyed to the judge was that Ceuta did not receive any specific alerts that would have foreshadowed such a large-scale operation. However, prior to July 30, the local government had expressed its concerns, with a joint statement on July 27 highlighting over a thousand entries in a week and the saturation of reception facilities. By July 29, Vivas raised the estimate to over 1,500 entries and demanded an "immediate and urgent" response from the government.
During his testimony, Vivas highlighted Morocco's role, asserting that it constitutes a "direct threat to Spain's interests." He noted that the authorities in Ceuta lacked a communication channel that would have allowed them to understand the situation unfolding across the border. This assertion carries significant weight given the unique nature of Ceuta's border. Vivas also pointed out that Morocco does not recognize Ceuta and Melilla as Spanish territories, making the relationship with Moroccan authorities fundamentally different from those between Spanish administrations.
As the mass entry began on July 30 at around 10 a.m., the Assembly's plenary session was suspended. The spokesperson committee convened urgently, unanimously requesting the declaration of a national emergency, increased security forces, the deployment of the military, and the closure of the border. That day, Vivas managed to finally speak with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez around 1 p.m. after persistent efforts. Moncloa had previously indicated that it was unnecessary for Sánchez to speak with Vivas, as the migratory situation was already being addressed by the relevant ministries. Throughout the day, the local government continued to communicate the situation to Moncloa and the Ministries of Interior, Defense, Territorial Policy, and Foreign Affairs. By 5 p.m., they reported that over 20,000 individuals might have already entered, yet there was no response from Moncloa. Approximately an hour later, the Minister of Defense contacted Vivas to inform him of the decision to deploy the military.
Vivas has refrained from attributing blame for the failures during the crisis, stating, "That is something you should ask the government; we tried repeatedly." He defended that the local government requested a national emergency, a unified command, and significant reinforcements of police and civil guards, emphasizing that the reinforcements eventually deployed were not sufficient given the scale of the crisis. Vivas insisted that he shared nothing new with the judge that citizens do not already know and answered all questions. He concluded by asserting that justice must guarantee the clarification of the events, reiterating that the citizens of Ceuta deserve to know the truth to build the future their city needs.
