MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Spain formally apologizes for hot pursuit “error” in Gibraltar waters

Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba personally rang Gibraltar Chief Minister Peter Caruana to apologize for the incident

A dramatic hot pursuit at sea by Spanish Civil Guards of two suspected smugglers whose vessel crashed into the rocks in Gibraltar avoided becoming a major political incident with Spain apologising for the “error” just a few hours later on Monday night, reports the Gibraltar Chronicle.

Madrid’s Interior Minister Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba personally telephoned Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Peter Caruana to apologise. Likewise Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Ángel Losada conveyed a similar message from Miguel Angel Moratinos, the Spanish Foreign Minister.

The Spanish officials assured Mr Caruana that there were no political intentions behind the incident.

Four Spanish Guardia Civil officers from the maritime section at Algeciras were detained by the Royal Gibraltar Police together with two other Spanish nationals, the suspected smugglers, who were arrested Monday evening following a chase at sea which ended up within Gibraltar Territorial Waters, the RGP confirmed last night.

The Civil Guards left Gibraltar at 11 pm but their vessel and weapons were kept by the RGP.

A forensic sweep of the area where the incident came to shore is said to have established that no shots were fired on land. Reports indicate that shots were heard during the chase at sea.

“Sr Rubalcaba called me personally last night. He said that they deeply regretted the incident and he apologised,” said Mr Caruana who also was assured by Rubalcaba that there were “no political intentions” behind the incident.

“I welcome this apology at the highest level. He assured me that steps will be taken to ensure that no such incident occurs again,” said Mr Caruana.

The incident had undoubtedly skirted close to causing a major political fracas with sensitivity on the waters continuing to be seismic. But Mr Caruana welcomed the rapidity of the Spanish admission and said he had accepted the apology and explanation. The Chief Minister said that, given the assurances that no political intent lay behind this and that the officers were said to be inexperienced, he was prepared to take the view that this had been a mistake.

This was, he said, now being treated as a police matter. He said Spain’s swift move had helped stop the incident becoming unmanageable at time when all parties should be working to defuse tension.

The RGP last night said: “Enquiries established that the Guardia Civil mistakenly entered Gibraltar Territorial Waters in hot pursuit and have since apologised for their actions. The four Spanish officers have been released pending further enquiries and handed over to the custody of the Guardia Civil Command in Algeciras. The RGP though, have retained their RIB and firearms pending further enquiries”.