Politics

Declassified documents show Spain's intelligence issued warnings before Ceuta crisis

Hindustan Times · 2 weeks ago · Read the Full Story on Hindustan Times
Declassified documents show Spain's intelligence issued warnings before Ceuta crisis
AI SUMMARY

Declassified documents reveal that Spain's intelligence agency issued multiple warnings about a potential migrant crossing prior to the Ceuta border crisis, undermining the prime minister's previous claims.

  • Spain's national intelligence agency issued multiple warnings before the late July border crisis in Ceuta.
  • Declassified government documents include letters, WhatsApp transcripts, internal charts, and law enforcement reports.
  • The files appear to contradict Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's statements regarding the level of prior warning his government received.
  • On July 29, intelligence sent a WhatsApp alert to the government's delegation in Ceuta warning of a social media call for an assault on the border.
  • Similar warnings about Facebook and WhatsApp groups encouraging attempts were sent to Spain's Civil Guard on the same day.
  • More than 72,000 people began pouring into the Spanish city starting July 30.
  • Sánchez's office rejected the notion that the documents showed prior warning of a mass crossing of that specific magnitude.
  • Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska acknowledged at the time that authorities were facing an extraordinary and exceptional situation.