Juan Jesús Vivas lashes out at Sánchez's Government over the Ceuta crisis on 'El Hormiguero': "It has not been up to its constitutional obligations"

The president of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, starred this Monday in one of his most forceful public interventions since the massive entry of people into the autonomous city. During his interview with Pablo Motos on El Hormiguero, Vivas demanded that the control of the Ceuta border be “in the hands of Spain and Europe” and not depend on Morocco, a country he described as “unreliable”.

Vivas rejected from the beginning of the interview that what happened in Ceuta could simply be defined as a migratory crisis. “What has been experienced in Ceuta is not a migratory crisis. It has been a full-blown invasion: by its dimension, by its manner, and by its actor,” he affirmed before Pablo Motos. The Ceutan president also attributed to what happened the consideration of a “hybrid attack”.

One of the central moments of the interview came when Motos asked Vivas about his confidence in Pedro Sánchez's Government to protect Ceuta. The regional president was blunt: “The antecedents disable the possibility of me trusting Pedro Sánchez to protect Spain.”

“The border must be in the hands of Spain and Europe”

Vivas insisted that Spain should not depend on Morocco to guarantee control of its border. “The border must be in the hands of Spain and Europe, not in the hands of Morocco; because allow me to say it, it is not a reliable country and that is evident,” he pointed out.

In this regard, he called for a reinforcement of border infrastructures and human, material, and technological resources, as well as a greater European presence in Ceuta and Melilla. His proposal includes greater involvement of European organizations such as Frontex. The Ceutan president also maintained that Morocco does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla and accused the neighboring country of having used its own population as an instrument of political pressure. In his opinion, what happened forces Spain to rethink its relationship with Rabat.

The Ceutan president also highlighted the King's role during the crisis and confirmed that Felipe VI will visit Ceuta, although he did not specify the date. Vivas assured that he had held four conversations with the monarch since the beginning of the crisis and defended that “I do not know any State authority that is more attentive to Ceuta than the King.” For this reason, he asked to “protect the King” and vindicated his role as “one of the pillars of our Constitution.”

“It could have been avoided”

Another of Vivas' main reproaches during the interview was directed at the central government. The president of Ceuta assured that the massive entry could have been avoided if "all the State's capacities" in terms of prevention and containment had been used.

"If all capacities had been deployed, this should have been avoided," he stated. Vivas denounced that previous warnings had been issued from Ceuta and assured that "they turned a deaf ear" to the warnings and information from the CNI. He also questioned whether there was a plan prepared to respond to a situation of these characteristics.

The Ceuta leader recalled during the conversation that in May 2021 there had already been a massive entry into Ceuta, when around 15,000 people accessed the city, and considered that precedent should have served to prepare a response to a new emergency situation.

"The Government has not been up to the task"

Vivas accused Pedro Sánchez's Executive of not having fulfilled its responsibilities. "The national government has not been up to its constitutional obligations," he stated during the program.

He also denounced what he considers excessive caution on the part of the Executive to avoid generating problems with Morocco. "There is indolence, irresponsibility, and a manifest attempt not to bother Morocco," he maintained.

For Vivas, the dimension of the episode transcends Ceuta itself and directly affects Spanish territorial integrity. "What is at stake is the cornerstone of our Constitution, what is at stake is our democracy," he affirmed.

Vivas also took his criticism to a terrain that transcends border management and questioned the joint celebration of the 2030 World Cup. The Ceuta president considered it incompatible for Spain to organize the championship with Morocco after what happened in Ceuta. "It is impossible for Morocco to do what it has done to us and, in turn, for us to organize a World Cup with them," he stated. "How can a hybrid attack be provoked and a World Cup organized?" he asked during the interview.

A Ceuta "at its limit"

During the interview, Vivas also described the current situation of the city. According to the data he presented on the program, Ceuta would be suffering a strong increase in certain incidents since the beginning of the crisis.

The president spoke of a 600% rise in files related to citizen security during August, 500% in Firefighter actions, and 2,000% in incidents registered in the port. With these data, Vivas warned that “Ceuta is in a pressure cooker that can explode at any moment”.

Likewise, he estimated at about 13,000 the people who remained in the city, including adults and minors, 45 days after the massive entry.

A final message for the people of Ceuta

The interview also had a strong emotional component. Vivas thanked the support received from the rest of Spain and, especially, the support shown by the people of Ceuta during the crisis. 

Upon his arrival on set, the president was greeted with shouts of “Ceuta, Ceuta!” by the attendees, while hundreds of citizens followed the interview from a screen installed in the Plaza de los Reyes in the city.

Vivas wanted to close his intervention by advocating for the unity of the people of Ceuta and demanding that Spain not forget the autonomous city. “To be with Ceuta is to be with Spain,” he affirmed at the beginning of an interview in which he turned his appearance on El Hormiguero into a forceful plea in defense of the city and against the central government's management.

The interview ended with a message of recognition to the citizens of Ceuta. Vivas awarded the people of Ceuta a “cum laude” for their behavior during the crisis and thanked the expressions of solidarity received from the rest of Spain. “Thanks to the people of Ceuta for standing firm, for their dignity, for not giving up, for not throwing in the towel,” he stated.