Imbroda attacks Sánchez over the Ceuta crisis and points to his "ties" with Morocco: "What does the Government owe him for them to pay us like this?"

Juan José Imbroda launched this Monday one of his harshest accusations against Pedro Sánchez since the migratory crisis in Ceuta began. The president of Melilla has described the Executive's actions as a "total failure" and has openly questioned its relationship with Morocco. "What does the Spanish Government owe Morocco for them to pay us like this?" he asked during a press conference.

The popular leader believes that the response came late despite the fact that irregular entries were already occurring and there were public warnings about the increase in border pressure. Imbroda has attributed this lack of reaction to the "complex ties" that, he maintains, condition the Government when it must make decisions about Rabat.

His speech became even more emphatic when describing what happened as "the greatest absurdity that could have occurred in Spain" since the beginning of democracy, "excluding ETA". In his opinion, the entry of tens of thousands of people has "called into question" Spanish sovereignty and the security of the nearly 85,000 citizens living in Ceuta.

Imbroda also does not believe that a mobilization of such a size can be explained solely by the economic causes that push thousands of people to leave Morocco. The Melilla president has acknowledged the enormous income difference between both countries, although he understands that this "breeding ground" could have been used to direct pressure towards the Spanish border.

"I don't believe this is a one hundred percent migratory phenomenon," he declared. The popular leader considers it impossible for "70,000 or 80,000 people" to move towards Ceuta without the knowledge of the Moroccan authorities or without them being able to contain them. His words point to both a possible permissiveness and a deliberate dereliction of duty on the part of Rabat.

The thesis clashes with the position defended this Monday by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, who highlighted Moroccan collaboration to curb arrivals and facilitate the return of those who crossed the border. The Government attributes a large part of the mobilization to the dissemination of false messages on social networks and the actions of mafias.

Imbroda has also rejected that Ceuta has returned to normality. "It is a lie that the situation in Ceuta is normalized," he assured before warning that there are still "thousands and thousands" of people in the city. Estimates by Ceuta authorities place the number of migrants who could remain there between 3,000 and 5,000, while the identification of minors and care for those who are still outside reception resources continues.

The pressure has been lower in Melilla, although its centers have also suffered a sharp increase. The number of minors taken in has gone from 168 to 344 in a few days, well above the approximately 85 places that the State recognizes as ordinary capacity for the autonomous city.

The CNI warning that Interior denies

One of Imbroda's main reproaches is directed at the alleged lack of attention to intelligence services. "The CNI had announced it and it was ignored," he stated. The president of Melilla maintains that previous movements at the border and the trickle of entries registered during previous days offered sufficient signals to reinforce the device.

The Government denies that there was a CNI report anticipating an entry of the magnitude registered in Ceuta. Fernando Grande-Marlaska assured last Saturday that Interior had not received any alert about an episode like the one experienced on July 30. Imbroda has not shown any document to support his accusation during his appearance.

The popular leader has also reproached Sánchez for denouncing an "affront against Spanish sovereignty" without identifying its perpetrator. "Could it have been the stars?" he quipped. Imbroda understands that Moncloa avoids directly pointing to Morocco after the decisions adopted in recent years to mend relations with Mohamed VI.

Among them is the Spanish shift on Western Sahara in 2022, when Sánchez presented the Moroccan autonomy plan as the "most serious, realistic, and credible" proposal to resolve the conflict. The president of Melilla believes that Spain has accumulated "so many concessions for nothing" despite being one of Morocco's main commercial partners and European supporters.

The lack of communication with the Executive has increased his discomfort. Imbroda has assured that no minister has contacted him during the crisis, while he did receive calls from the president of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas; from the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo; and from King Felipe VI.

The monarch had an "interesting and long" conversation with him to learn about the evolution of the situation and the possibility of Melilla suffering a similar entry. Imbroda has now asked Sánchez to visit the city accompanied by Felipe VI and thus facilitate an institutional gesture that, as he recalled, depends on coordination with the Government.

The president of Melilla has also demanded the recovery of the old 500-meter neutral strip next to the borders of Ceuta and Melilla, which Morocco would have progressively occupied according to his version. He has also revived the proposal to create a shuttle maritime connection between Melilla and Nador to relieve pressure on the Beni Enzar land crossing.

Imbroda has demanded more investment, technical means, and agents for the two autonomous cities and has called for accountability for the dozens of people who died during the entry attempts. His last criticism has been directed against the maritime barriers deployed by the Government, a measure he has compared to placing "rubber ducks" in the sea. "I think we are making a fool of ourselves," he concluded.