(Madrid) For the past week now, there's been something of a media circus over the strained relationship between Gibraltar, Spain and the UK. It started initially with Spain complaining about the building of an artificial reef which they claim is ruining the livelihood of Spanish fishermen. As time has gone on, the Spanish have reasserted their claim that Gibraltar, like Israel, is crying to be reclaimed into the motherland.
Here is what the Spanish and the media aren't telling you:
There are only 5 Spanish fishing boats involved, Gibraltar has been building that artificial reef since 1975 when its seas were plundered dry by the Spanish (Gibraltar has no fishing fleet). Since then, Gibraltar has gone out of its way in which to try and protect the seas within its borders (2013 Fishing report). Anyway, here is an official Spanish Map taken from a Spanish Government website which shows just where the Spanish can fish.
At a stroke, you can see that the Spanish claim that the artificial reef is impinging on their sea is a totally fabricated one.
While Spain contests the legitimacy of Gibraltar (they signed it over to the UK in 1713 in the Treaty of Utrecht), they claim that their own enclaves on the North African coast (Ceuta and Melilla) are not up for discussion and anyway, they wish to remain Spanish. Really?
So all of the above are good reasons in which to question just why the Spanish government is kicking up a huge fuss about Gibraltar. The real reason is actually very interesting. You see, earlier on this year, the Spanish newspaper El Mondo revealed that the ruling party had been paying themselves out of a secret slush fund. In fact, the Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy was said to have received $456,000 over two decades. These past few weeks have been very hard on the ruling party, what with 72% of the Spanish population thinking that Rajoy is guilty, protests on the streets demanding he resigns, poor employment figures, and you can see just why the present Spanish Government needs a diversion.
Meanwhile, the British hating bBC promotes the view that the British can't be trusted.
Here is what the Spanish and the media aren't telling you:
There are only 5 Spanish fishing boats involved, Gibraltar has been building that artificial reef since 1975 when its seas were plundered dry by the Spanish (Gibraltar has no fishing fleet). Since then, Gibraltar has gone out of its way in which to try and protect the seas within its borders (2013 Fishing report). Anyway, here is an official Spanish Map taken from a Spanish Government website which shows just where the Spanish can fish.
At a stroke, you can see that the Spanish claim that the artificial reef is impinging on their sea is a totally fabricated one.
While Spain contests the legitimacy of Gibraltar (they signed it over to the UK in 1713 in the Treaty of Utrecht), they claim that their own enclaves on the North African coast (Ceuta and Melilla) are not up for discussion and anyway, they wish to remain Spanish. Really?
So all of the above are good reasons in which to question just why the Spanish government is kicking up a huge fuss about Gibraltar. The real reason is actually very interesting. You see, earlier on this year, the Spanish newspaper El Mondo revealed that the ruling party had been paying themselves out of a secret slush fund. In fact, the Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy was said to have received $456,000 over two decades. These past few weeks have been very hard on the ruling party, what with 72% of the Spanish population thinking that Rajoy is guilty, protests on the streets demanding he resigns, poor employment figures, and you can see just why the present Spanish Government needs a diversion.
Meanwhile, the British hating bBC promotes the view that the British can't be trusted.
