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Reach Alcance Edition 14: ‘Miss World to Mayor of Gibraltar’
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EDITORIAL: AN ACT OF REMEMBRANCE, BUT NOT A CELEBRATION
Chief Minister of Gibraltar Fabian Picardo and Mayor of La Linea Juan Franco recently met at the Frontier to give the finishing touches to the 50th anniversary commemorations of the closure of the frontier on the 8th June 1969.
The closure was dictator Franco’s response to the approval of a Constitution for Gibraltar, which was enacted two years after the Gibraltarians massively ratified their desire to remain British in a referendum.
As a result of the closure, the Rock remained isolated for thirteen years until democracy was restored in Spain and the socialist government, headed by Felipe González, came to power. This allowed communication to flow again on both sides, and family and fraternal ties were renewed, although these ties had never been completely broken despite this outrageous event.
As Juan Franco said beside the monument to the frontier worker in La Linea, the event was a “remembrance rather than a celebration”. Indeed, that ridiculous and inhumane measure in 1969 is nothing to celebrate.
Juan Franco and Fabian Picardo recalled this dark moment in our history by trying to consign it to the past with a handshake, and also agreed to be on guard against the potential dangers of Brexit, something which now seems unavoidable.
People fear that Brexit may have a negative impact, both on coexistence for a better future but, above all, the difficulties that may arise from those far-away Spanish national government offices that have already caused so much damage to the region, especially to La Linea. Picardo continues to extend a hand of friendship to Juan Franco, who has the political support of the majority of his own citizens.
It does not seem to be the Mayor’s aim to tolerate any implementation of measures that could go against the interests of Spanish workers in Gibraltar because, despite the development schemes, the promises of investment or any other special considerations, the fact remains that Gibraltar continues to be the main source of employment for La Linea.
Hopefully, the authorities on both sides of the Frontier will meet again in half a century, but this time to celebrate.
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