Óscar Puente mocks Abascal for arriving late to Ceuta: "¿Está ya Ab Ascal a lomos de su caballo?"

Óscar Puente has received with sarcasm the arrival of Santiago Abascal in Ceuta. The Minister of Transport has taken advantage of the fact that the leader of the far-right Vox has waited until this Sunday to travel to the autonomous city, almost three days after the most serious moments of the migratory crisis, and has turned his visit into a succession of mockery on social networks.

"Is Ab Ascal, also known as Santiago and close Spain, already on his horse in Ceuta?", Puente wrote. The wordplay separates the surname of the far-right leader to introduce an Arabic reference and recovers the historical expression "Santiago and close Spain", used for centuries as a battle cry.

The minister accompanied the message with a satirical image in which Abascal appears dressed in a djellaba and a white hat, sitting in front of a camera. The publication coincided with the appearance of the president of Vox in the Plaza de África, where he went with Jorge Buxadé and the Ceuta leader Juan Sergio Redondo.

Puente insisted shortly after by sharing a user's comment that compared the visit to one of Miguel Gila's well-known monologues. "Is it the enemy? If he's already gone, I'm going there," said the quoted message to summarize Abascal's delay in appearing on the ground.

"He can't even say 'At dawn and with harsh easterly winds' because it's already noon and the sea is flat. What is a fascist without epic? Well, a windbag," added the minister, using a well-known phrase from dictator Francisco Franco about the Green March to dismantle the patriotic staging prepared by Vox.

Abascal arrives when the crisis is already receding

Abascal appeared after 1:00 p.m. this Sunday, when the situation in Ceuta was already very different from that experienced on Thursday. More than 48,000 of the people who entered from Morocco had started their journey back, according to Interior data, and on Saturday only 19 new arrivals by swimming were registered.

The city is still dragging the consequences of a crisis with a terrible human toll. The Government Delegation has raised to 72 the number of deceased migrants and the authorities maintain nearly 3,000 police officers, civil guards, and military personnel deployed. Businesses and services have progressively resumed their activity, healthcare works normally, and the border remains reinforced while returns continue.

In this scenario, the president of the far-right Vox has landed to demand measures that are already accompanied by his usual warlike language. Abascal has called for "permanently militarizing" the border, closing the crossing with Morocco until Rabat offers guarantees, and demanding that the European Union suspend its preferential agreements with the neighboring country.

The far-right leader has also accused Pedro Sánchez of sharing responsibility for what happened and has stated that he should be "in prison." His intervention included the insinuation that Morocco has compromising information about the Prime Minister, an accusation for which he presented no evidence.

Abascal estimates that around 10,000 migrants still remain in Ceuta, although authorities currently lack a definitive figure. The government delegate has confirmed a very significant reduction in presence on the streets and explained that pending files will be processed to execute returns "as soon as possible."

The visit took place without incident and, according to the chronicle of the local media 'Ceuta TV', the appearance gathered more journalists than sympathizers. Abascal arrived after Alvise Pérez, Vito Quiles, and members of the neo-Nazi organization Núcleo Nacional staged their own pilgrimage on Saturday to a city that was beginning to leave behind images of chaos.

Puente also targets Alvise

Puente's mockery also reached Alvise Pérez. The MEP from Se Acabó la Fiesta went to Ceuta on Saturday accompanied by the far-right agitator Vito Quiles and was received by a group of Ceuta citizens of Moroccan origin who rejected his presence and accused him of fueling hatred.

"We are suffering and you are taking advantage of the situation," several neighbors reproached him. Others defended their Spanish status and recalled that coexistence between communities is part of Ceuta's daily reality. The National Police ended up escorting Alvise and Quiles amidst the jeers.

Puente responded this Sunday to the information about that confrontation with another phrase full of irony. "Because Alvise is of Swedish origin, as we can all appreciate," he wrote, mocking the insistence on highlighting the Moroccan origin of the residents who stood up to the ultras.

The minister also brought up an old threat made by Alvise in July 2025. The MEP then claimed that Puente had been recorded in a notary's office in Alicante and warned him that they would talk "in a few months," although he never revealed the supposed compromising content he claimed to have. "I remind you that this professional swindler is a true con artist. One year since this tweet," Puente replied. The minister linked that insinuation to the hoax recently spread by Alvise about his supposed trip on an official plane to play golf in Alicante.

The accusation was debunked by Puente's public agenda. The minister was that morning at the Council of Ministers and in the afternoon participated with King Felipe VI in an event held in Barcelona. The aircraft used by Alvise to accompany his story also did not transport the minister. It was a plane intended for the coordination and surveillance of forest fires.

"Like the one with the plane I'm going to play golf with. A true freeloader who loses what little strength he has through his mouth," Puente concluded.

The confrontation has continued with an even harsher message. "That this rat has reached the European Parliament...", the minister wrote when sharing another publication against Alvise. Puente has maintained an open battle with the ultra leader for years, to whom he has already responded on numerous occasions for his false accusations and threats on social media.

Puente also reposted Guillermo Guijarro's message that exposed another contradiction of the trip. Alvise announced at 3:58 PM on his own Telegram channel that he was about to board a ferry bound for Ceuta. Less than two hours later, he blamed the Government Subdelegation for having leaked his arrival. "Bravo, champion," Guijarro concluded after placing the times of the two publications together.

Alvise and Quiles finished their journey under police protection and amidst protests from residents. "Ceuta united will never be defeated", the neighbors chanted before throwing a final reproach at them: "We are suffering and you are taking advantage of the situation to sow hatred."