“The facts surrounding this incident reveal a flagrant violation of British sovereignty and possibly the deadliest and most dangerous incident in years.” Gibraltar’s head of government, Fabian Picardo, said in a statement he signed.
The incident in question took place in the early hours of Thursday, when two Spanish customs officials entered a beach in Gibraltar in pursuit of smugglers. statement.source of the Spanish tax authorities who requested anonymity.
The same source emphasized that the two Spanish customs agents suffered injuries, but did not specify the severity.
“If Spanish officials are confirmed to have used their weapons in Gibraltar, such an action would constitute a very serious violation of the law,” reads the statement from the ruler of “Rochedo”, a term also used to designate this small area.
“The Governments of Gibraltar and the United Kingdom believe that yesterday’s (Thursday) events require a thoughtful analysis of the nature and level of the diplomatic response,” he added.
Spain ceded Gibraltar to the British crown in 1713, under the Treaty of Utrecht, but has never ceased to claim its sovereignty since then, leading to frequent border friction and diplomatic tension between Madrid and London.
The highest point of tension between the two countries occurred in 1969, when the regime of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco closed the border between that British territory and Spain, which was not fully reopened until 1985.
Source: DN
