Zaragoza Mayor and FEMP spokesperson Natalia Chueca highlighted the city’s response to the call and conveyed “the support of all Zaragoza and all Spaniards” to the people of Ceuta. She said the population of the autonomous city is experiencing a situation that has completely disrupted daily life and needs to feel supported by the rest of the country.
Chueca said Ceuta had suffered “an invasion and an attack” and called for a response from the Spanish government. “It is essential that it address the needs of Ceuta’s population,” she said, while urging the central government to defend “the integrity of our borders” and guarantee coexistence. The spokesperson added that Ceuta’s residents “feel completely abandoned” in the face of the situation they are experiencing.
AZCÓN DEFENDS A RALLY “WITHOUT PARTY LABELS”
Aragon’s president, Jorge Azcón, argued that the gathering went beyond political parties. “Today there are no party members, activists or even supporters of political parties here. Today there are Aragonese men and women who want to express their solidarity with Ceuta,” he said.
The Aragonese president also criticized the Spanish government’s handling of the situation and demanded accountability for what had happened. “This deep crisis is being managed with one lie after another, one botched job after another,” he said, arguing that the latest information to emerge was increasing “the concern of Aragonese people and Spaniards”.
Santiago Morón, Vox’s spokesperson in the Aragonese Parliament, took an even harder line. Minutes before the gathering, he called on the parliamentary groups in Congress to apply Article 102 of the Constitution in order, in his words, to “put Pedro Sánchez on trial for treason”.
A “FIRM AND UNFAILING” MANIFESTO OF SUPPORT
During the event, Natalia Chueca read the manifesto promoted by the FEMP, the same text that was also read in Ceuta by its president, Juan Jesús Vivas. The document expresses “firm and unfailing support” for the autonomous city and warns that the pressure on its public services and its ability to maintain normality “is also putting Spain to the test”, particularly with regard to border protection, security and territorial integrity.
The manifesto also calls for more state resources, extraordinary funding for Ceuta and greater involvement from the European Union, as one of its external borders is involved. It also recognizes the response of Ceuta’s society and the work of the security forces, healthcare workers, social services, public employees, organizations and volunteers, who since late July have been sustaining essential services and working to guarantee security and coexistence in the city.
