The Spanishness of Ceuta, Melilla and the Canary Islands - Gustavo de Arístegui reflects

Gustavo de Arístegui is a Spanish politician, diplomat and an international analyst. He is the former ambassador of Spain in India. Gustavo de Arístegui originates from a long-standing conciliatory foundation, his dad and granddad were both senior representatives posted as representatives in Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. The diplomat and ex-politician doubts that Morocco is going to request, Ceuta, Melilla and the Canary Islands whose Spanishness responds to historical and legal arguments.

The diplomat and ex-politician, Gustavo de Arístegui doubts that Morocco is going to request, Ceuta, Melilla and the Canary Islands whose Spanishness responds to historical and legal arguments. Spanishness of Ceuta and Melilla have nothing to do with colonialism, Gustavo affirmed.

Gustavo de Arístegui is a Spanish politician, diplomat and an international analyst

On his latest conversation on the Sahara issue, Gustavo de Arístegui made it clear that Ceuta, Melilla and the Canary Islands are completely different issues from the Sahara. He also said that, he doesn’t think any power like the United States or others would frighten the Spanish Government regarding the pressure on Ceuta and Melilla and even the Canary Islands if the step is not taken. “The sovereignty of Spain in Ceuta and Melilla cannot be questioned. When Ceuta passes to the Spanish crown on the death of Isabel of Portugal, the people of Ceuta are asked which crown they want to keep and they decide to keep the Spanish crown. This is something that happened in 1640”, Gustavo cleared his views.

In the case of Melilla, Gustavo explained that it is an initiative of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and V of Castile, the Catholic, who in 1497, after the Berber pirates harassed the peaceful commercial and even military navigation of the European powers in the Mediterranean, decided to take one more place, like so many others dominated by Spain, to guarantee security in the Mediterranean and maritime traffic. In Melilla, far from where the legal and feudal dominions of the then Sultan of Morocco reached, Spain established a strong point and this was the result of the to and fro of international borders. By the rule of three of the reasoning of having a territory in another continent, two thirds of Istanbul and all the European part of Turkey would belong to Bulgaria and Greece.

According to Gustavo, Sahara was a territory to be decolonised while it was administered by Spain as a colonial power. If we say that Ceuta and Melilla are linked to the Sahara, we are giving reason to that whole argument, it is perfect nonsense, Arístegui elucidated. “If we say that we have to maintain our positions in the Sahara to guarantee the Spanishness of Ceuta and Melilla, we are denying at the same time the very essence of the Spanishness of Ceuta and Melilla, which have nothing to do with colonialism”, Gustavo de Arístegui reaffirmed his opinion.

But the Moroccan Government itself spends the day saying that Ceuta and Melilla have to be returned, "firmness from diplomacy and from good friendship must continue to defend and underline that the Spanishness of Ceuta and Melilla and both historical and legal arguments are crushing” concluded Gustavo de Arístegui.