An ongoing investigation into the allegedly corrupt practices of former Spanish transport minister José Luis Ábalos has disclosed that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government was allegedly aware that the migrant crisis that affected the Canary Islands during the Covid pandemic was being facilitated by Rabat.
El Día newspaper reported on June 14 that Ábalos’ right-hand man, Koldo García, kept extensive secret recordings of allegedly compromising conversations that were now in the hands of the authorities.
The recordings allegedly featured Ábalos, García as well as Francisco Pardo Piqueras who headed the Department of Police and was also a member of the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE).
In 2020, they were in charge of handling the humanitarian crisis affecting the Canary Islands archipelago, where hundreds of small rafts carrying migrants were arriving from the Moroccan coast.
In conversation with Koldo and answering the latter’s suggestion of deporting the migrants using the airline Air Europa – also under investigation by Spanish authorities for allegedly questionable public financial injections – Piqueras reportedly said: “Morocco is sending them to us. And here, since the borders are closed with Morocco … As long as the borders are closed in Europe, one cannot repatriate them.
“And have them close the border, let them close the border. The issue is that the Moroccans are letting them out through the Sahara route.”
Upon Koldo suggesting that they be moved to mainland Spain, Piqueras then insinuated that the crisis was orchestrated:
“Absolutely not. No, for a simple reason, that would be a perverse incentive. These ones come well dressed, with mobile phones … They get their trips paid from Europe, I mean the trip to the islands, without rafts … and what they see is that by reaching the Canary islands, they can get to the Peninsula,” he reportedly said.
Sánchez has been heavily criticised also for his diplomatic rapprochement to Morocco, going to the extent of recognising Rabat’s sovereignty over the former Spanish colony of Western Sahara; this had been an issue of principle for Madrid for half a century.
Observers said this new alleged revelation would likely only increase suspicions of foul play on the part of the government.
