The mystery of the cats that vanished in Ceuta, Spain, after the border storming
Cleaners in Ceuta, Spain, report cats being killed by migrants. The controversy is growing and there are no official figures. How much of it is true?
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Ceuta's cats: missing after the border storming, and no one has an answer
Something has been eating Ceuta's cats. That, at least, is what cleaners in the Spanish city claim, reporting that cats and dogs are being killed by migrants. The complaint reached the media thanks to the Cuatro programme "En boca de todos", which carried these workers' testimony: "They kill them for pleasure," they said. The story has spread like wildfire, and there is no shortage of people pointing to an orchestrated disinformation campaign.
The context: after the storming of Ceuta's border, tensions have soared. Some voices claim the animals have disappeared because of rising migratory pressure; others say these are unconfirmed rumours. In reality, there are no official figures on the number of missing cats, nor evidence that migrants are behind it. What exists is a symptom of the social strain surrounding the city's migration crisis.
Meanwhile, the reports have been compared with other conspiracy theories, such as the one about "cat eaters" in Haiti during the US election campaign. Curiously, some internet users point out that cats have also been eaten in Spain in times of hunger, and that it is not an unknown practice. But the focus is on Ceuta, where coexistence is becoming more difficult.
This affair is likely to keep making headlines. The question is not whether the cats have died, but whether the public will be able to tell facts from propaganda in such a poisoned atmosphere.
Something has been eating Ceuta's cats. That, at least, is what cleaners in the Spanish city claim, reporting that cats and dogs are being killed by migrants. The complaint reached the media thanks to the Cuatro programme "En boca de todos", which carried these workers' testimony: "They kill them for pleasure," they said. The story has spread like wildfire, and there is no shortage of people pointing to an orchestrated disinformation campaign.
The context: after the storming of Ceuta's border, tensions have soared. Some voices claim the animals have disappeared because of rising migratory pressure; others say these are unconfirmed rumours. In reality, there are no official figures on the number of missing cats, nor evidence that migrants are behind it. What exists is a symptom of the social strain surrounding the city's migration crisis.
Meanwhile, the reports have been compared with other conspiracy theories, such as the one about "cat eaters" in Haiti during the US election campaign. Curiously, some internet users point out that cats have also been eaten in Spain in times of hunger, and that it is not an unknown practice. But the focus is on Ceuta, where coexistence is becoming more difficult.
This affair is likely to keep making headlines. The question is not whether the cats have died, but whether the public will be able to tell facts from propaganda in such a poisoned atmosphere.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (21 replies).
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