Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia continue their controversial visit to the occupied city of Ceuta, describing the trip as “a long-desired and long-pending debt.”
Spanish news agency EFE said they wrote their “commitment” to the city in the “Honor Book at Ceuta City Hall,” where they signed their names before receiving the “keys” to the occupied city.
The monarchs said in their message in the book that “there was a debt that we are settling today, while conveying the closeness and affection of all of Spain.”
The visit comes as part of King Felipe’s approach in response to the pressure he received following the Ceuta mass crossing in July, when 70,000 migrants crossed into the occupied enclave.
Many observers believe the approach Felipe used under pressure contradicts that of former King Juan Carlos, when a similar migration crisis took place in 2005.
Moroccan Author and foreign policy analyst Samir Benniss stated that the former king used the phone and contacted King Mohammed VI, using the monarchy as a channel to tackle the diplomatic crisis. Meanwhile, King Felipe VI preferred to use the microphone in response to the pressure, especially from the far right, which launched smear campaigns targeting Rabat and weaponized migration to take on the Sanchez government and its policy toward Rabat.
In a speech delivered before presenting King Felipe and Letizia, President of Ceuta Juan Jesus Vivas claimed that the people of Ceuta were experiencing the “most difficult” moment, calling the Spanish monarchs’ visit to the occupied city “historic.”
The Spanish monarchs, in their message, also reiterated provocative remarks, as well as comments repeated by the Spanish government throughout the crisis about Spain’s “territorial integrity” and sovereignty over the Spanish-occupied enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, despite their geographical positioning and Morocco’s ties to the enclaves.
Moroccans, however, have been urging Morocco since the relaunch of the crisis following the mass crossing to revive negotiations and reclaim the cities.
Provocative remarks from Spanish officials about what they deem “Spanish territory” continued for months after the mass crossing. Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister Jose Manuel Albares even stated that King Felipe and Letizia did not need approval to visit the occupied city.
However, Spanish news outlet El País acknowledged, through diplomatic sources, that the visit came with Morocco’s approval.
