Unarmed soldiers in Ceuta: Spain's border show

60,000 entries and 80,000 returns: the impossible figure in the Ceuta crisis. Unarmed troops and a photo that says everything about the show.

English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published

Soldiers without batons: the Ceuta deployment that fuels the 'show'

The image is spreading across social media: a line of soldiers and police officers in Ceuta, without batons or riot gear, while the people who crossed the border are already on Spanish soil. That was enough for the word "show" to fill the comments.

Behind the sarcasm lies a real debate about the army's role at the border. Some argue the deployment is pure staging: if the troops carry no means of intervention, their role is limited to posing for the photo. On the other side, it is pointed out that a soldier is not a police officer and that their mission is to trinc the orders of the political authorities. The chain of command, in any case, ends at Spain's Interior Ministry and at Moncloa, the prime minister's office.

The figures that don't add up in the Ceuta crisis

In the background, a figure attributed to journalist Javier Ruiz is baffling: of the 60,000 said to have entered, 80,000 have returned. Impossible at first glance, but revealing of the informational chaos surrounding every episode of migratory pressure. Added to this is the mention of the 1,500 prisoners pardoned by Mohamed VI, a decision interpreted in the geopolitical analysis as a piece on the border chessboard.

To finish, the image condenses the paradox: a military deployment sent not to intervene, while the official figures don't hold up. The soldiers remain there, without batons, and the migration crisis continues its course. Let everyone draw their own conclusions.

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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 (12 replies).

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