Sanz’s departure became known after it emerged that, on July 29, one day before the events, he received communications from a CNI member warning of calls circulated through social media to try to enter Ceuta by land through the border fence and by sea. The chief of staff also held an approximately 11-minute phone conversation with the agent and later confirmed by message that he had received the information.
THE DELEGATE SAYS HE WAS UNAWARE OF THE MESSAGES
The controversy has focused attention on the information available to the Government Delegation before the events of July 30 and on how those warnings were handled. Pérez Triano has said in his statements to the media that he was unaware both of the messages received by his chief of staff and of the phone conversation with the intelligence service member.
The delegate explained that the communications were part of “an exchange of informational documentation” and maintained that, in the days beforehand, officials were aware of the existence of a “serious and complex migration situation,” but not of a forecast of the scale the events ultimately reached.
Pérez Triano also ruled out resigning and defended the actions of the Government Delegation. At a news conference, he said that what happened on July 30 “overwhelmed all the measures” that could have been adopted.
