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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, July 4th 2025 - 11:00 UTC

Tag: Spain

  • Thursday, May 1st 2014 - 10:10 UTC

    Amnesty International accuses Spain of repressive legislation and heavy hand with protestors

    In 2013, there were 4,500 demonstrations in Madrid alone: an increase of 1,000 from the year before

    The Spanish government is using the full force of the law to suffocate legitimate peaceful protest, Amnesty International in Spain has said. Jezerca Tigani, Europe and Central Asia Deputy Program Director for Amnesty, published a brief report last week in which he said that the excessive use of force by Spanish police and plans to strengthen repressive legislation are a damning indictment of the Spanish government’s determination to crush peaceful protest.

  • Wednesday, April 23rd 2014 - 05:54 UTC

    Madrid trying to block sale of rocks to Gibraltar, according to Spanish media

    Allegedly García-Margallo has contacted suppliers in Portugal and Morocco

    Spain’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs is urging Morocco and Portugal to block the sale of rocks to Gibraltar, according to the online publication El Confidencial. The website reported at the weekend that the ministry headed by Jose Manuel García-Margallo had initiated contacts with “friendly countries” in a bid to stop Gibraltar’s “expansionist” plans.

  • Wednesday, April 16th 2014 - 04:49 UTC

    Spanish government vessels incursions into Gibraltar waters reach 600

    Guardia Civil vessels in Gibraltar territorial waters

    Spanish government vessels have unlawfully entered British territorial waters around Gibraltar more than 600 times since the start of 2013, according to official figures. There were 496 incursions in 2013 and 112 in the first three months of 2014, the figures disclosed by Foreign Secretary William Hague revealed.

  • Thursday, April 10th 2014 - 06:02 UTC

    Mas defies Madrid: Catalonia will go ahead with the independence referendum

    Mas already has a date for the referendum, November 9

    Catalonia President Artur Mas said he would forge ahead with his region's plans to hold a referendum on independence in November after Spain's parliament overwhelmingly rejected the petition. After a seven-hour debate in Madrid, and despite heavy support for the separatist movement in the wealthy northeastern region, 299 lawmakers voted against, 47 voted for and one abstained.

  • Wednesday, April 9th 2014 - 07:08 UTC

    Gibraltar 'close to British hearts', but plenty of room for 'practical dialogue'

    Ambassador Manley suggested UK, Spain, Gibraltar and Andalucia dialogue

    UK Ambassador to Spain, Simon Manley has told a Spanish newspaper that British people hold Gibraltar ‘close to their hearts’ and that delays at the border are politically motivated. He underscored Britain and Gibraltar’s desire to engage in “practical” dialogue toward better cross-border relations that would benefit communities on either side of the frontier fence.

  • Wednesday, April 9th 2014 - 07:03 UTC

    Algeciras mayor highlights 'English occupation' of Gibraltar and the Falklands

    Landaluce participated of a twinning ceremony at the city of Rio Grande, Tierra del Fuego during the 32nd anniversary of the Falklands war

    The mayor of the Spanish town of Algeciras, Jose Ignacio Landaluce flew back this weekend from Argentina, where he had attended a twinning ceremony with Rio Grande, Tierra del Fuego that sought to highlight the ‘English occupation’ of Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands.

  • Saturday, April 5th 2014 - 00:45 UTC

    Despite Gibraltar, Spain and UK enjoy 'excellent relations', says Rajoy

    “I hope that this type of incident does not recur in the future on the basis that we have different points of view.”

    Spanish premier Mariano Rajoy has declared that the latest incursion into Gibraltar waters, that saw London call in his Ambassador on Tuesday, “can be clarified”, and highlighted that Britain and Spain continue to enjoy “excellent relations.” He hoped such incidents will not be repeated but admitted that Spain and UK have long held opposing positions on the question of Gibraltar.

  • Monday, March 24th 2014 - 06:52 UTC

    Spain mourns the loss of the man who played a key role in the transition to democracy

    The former minister Adolfo Suárez and King Juan Carlos

    Former Prime Minister Adolfo Suarez, who played a key role in Spain's transition to democracy, died in Madrid on Sunday. He was 81. The former premier was hospitalized last Monday with respiratory problems related to Alzheimer's, his family said.

  • Tuesday, March 4th 2014 - 23:53 UTC

    Hague raises UK's concern about illegal Spanish incursions in Gibraltar waters

    MP Rosindell brought up the issue in a parliamentary question in Commons

    UK Foreign Secretary, William Hague, personally raised Britain’s concerns about persistent “illegal” Spanish incursions into British Gibraltar territorial waters, it was revealed. Mr. Hague spoke to Gonzalo de Benito, the Secretary of State at the Spanish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, on February 20 on the margins of an emergency meeting of the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council to discuss the situation in Ukraine.

  • Tuesday, February 18th 2014 - 20:39 UTC

    Spain battles Sub-Saharan migrants who managed to break into Melilla

    The Spanish city of Melilla lies on the African continent, surrounded by Morocco and the Mediterranean Sea

    About 150 sub-Saharan migrants managed to enter Spain’s north African enclave of Melilla on Monday after a group of 250 stormed a barbed-wire border fence, the Spanish Interior Ministry said. Spanish media showed video of those who got over the fence running down the streets of Melilla shouting “Barca, Barca!” as they headed toward a detention centre.