Fredbargate

Gib and campo ‘beds apart’, says JJ Tellez

In an interview with diariodesevilla.es, Sr. Téllez described his earliest memories of interacting with the Gibraltarian culture despite the closure of the frontier.

He said before Los Ladrillos beach was converted to “a sewage dump” his mother would take him down and he was enthralled by the picture of the “mysterious” limestone Rock.

“I grew up between Juanito Valderrama and the Beatles, the Rollings, the Monkeys,” said Sr Téllez. “It was a foreign culture which was nearby.”

He reflected on the first time he crossed into Gibraltar following the re-opening of the frontier in 1985, calling it a “theme park of cultures” which amazed him.

“There was an atmosphere, almost a scent of Britishness as well as a very distinct air of Andalucían culture,” said Sr Téllez. “There was also a strong imprint of Maltese, Genovese, Sefardí, Indian and Moroccan culture amalgamated in Casemates Square.”

Sr Téllez argued that the lives of the people from Gibraltar and the Campo have been “hijacked” by military and political interests throughout its history.

“Gibraltar and the Campo seem like a marriage sleeping in separate beds,” he said. “The people’s needs have never been taken into account.”

Sr Téllez called the actions of last summer a “déjà vu” as people once again entered the “choreographed conflict” those living in the area are now used to.

“We have not achieved anything, yet we continue with the same strategy,” he said. “Do we think it is justifiable to convert Gibraltarians into the new Palestinians where land is more important than people?”

http://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=32717

Fredbargate

EU Parliament debates Gibraltar air exclusion clause

The European Parliament will today debate planned EU legislation on consumer rights for air passengers which, in its present form, would exclude Gibraltar.

The EU is looking to revamp its rules for compensation to air travellers, including reducing from five to three hours the length of delay warranting compensation.

But Spain is trying to have Gibraltar excluded from the measure, in a move at odds with the Spanish Government’s commitments under the 2006 Cordoba agreement.

The current draft of the legislation includes a clause that specifically excludes Gibraltar from the measure and makes reference to the rejected 1987 agreement between Spain and the UK for joint use of the airport.



“The Commission have proposed to exclude Gibraltar airport and all its passengers from the scope of this regulation,” said Gibraltar’s Conservative MEP Julie Girling. “This is discrimination.”

http://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=32744

To sum this up Spain is trying to deny the rights of passengers using Gibraltar airport.

Who will suffer, not the politicians but you Joe Public, regardless of your nationality

Fredbargate

I would like to think that the following is reaction by the UK Government to the PP's rejection of all things Cordoba.

However I think it will end up being blamed on administrative / clerical errors.

Spanish pensioners, former workers in Gibraltar, have reportedly not been paid this month. According to the Spanish daily, La Verdad, the pensions, paid for by the UK as part of the 2006 Cordoba Agreement, are normally collected around the 27th of the month but the monies were still not there today.

The pensioners claim there is normally a hotline in London and a person on the other end of the phone to help them with their queries, but that they’ve been told this person is on leave. They are willing to wait until the end of this week and say if there is no news by then they will be making representations to La Linea Mayor, Gemma Araujo.

According to La Verdad, around three thousand five hundred people are affected.

http://gbc.gi/news/3157/spanish-pens...yet-this-month

jackytoo

Perhaps the UK is retaliating at last

Fredbargate

I hope so

jimenato

I agree but it's a shame the pensioners of La Linea are caught in the mess if it's true.

Fredbargate

Update

Gibraltar included in proposed aviation measures

Liberal Democrat Gibraltar MEP Sir Graham Watson is claiming victory in securing air passenger rights for Gibraltar. The European Parliament today voted on proposals to strengthen passenger rights – with these now extended to those travelling to and from Gibraltar, despite Spain’s efforts to exclude the Rock.

The new measures will allow for greater passenger rights in matters such as compensation and the right to free food and accommodation in the case of severe delays. They’re a revision of existing EU legislation on the matter – and, once again, Spain has attempted to block their application to Gibraltar,

Sir Graham today put forward an amendment to delete a clause through which Spain sought to exclude Gibraltar, and the amendment was passed. He's described this as "a victory for passengers, for Gibraltar and for the equal treatment of all EU citizens".

http://gbc.gi/news/3160/gibraltar-in...rnment-reacts-

Domino

cannot see what Spain hopes to gain from such a measure, its only sour grapes (or is it olives?)

`

Fredbargate

Feb 05 - MEPs Back Gibraltar in EU Parliament Magazine Supplement
Wednesday, 05 February 2014 16:17

Gibraltar has this week featured prominently in Parliament Magazine, with articles by Gibraltar Conservative and Liberal Democrat MEPs Ashley Fox and Sir Graham Watson included in the supplement. Other European Parliament members, Ramon Tremosa i Balcells of Catalunya and UK Labour representative Peter Skinner also contributed to the feature, with their pieces on self-determination and how the crisis is effective both Spanish and Gibraltar economies.

http://www.yourgibraltartv.com/news/...ine-supplement

There are eleven pages on Gibraltar in this edition.

I must admit so far I have only read page 36, sugest anyone interested does the same. I will read the rest later

http://www.theparliament.com/digimag/issue383

Fredbargate

If Spain persists dismantling Cordoba Agreement, UK has option to discontinue payment of Spanish pensions.

http://gbc.gi/news/3170/deputy-cm:-i...anish-pensions.

Fredbargate

‘self-determination’ has not been recognised by the UN for Gibraltarians,

“colonial situation of Gibraltar destroys the national unity and territorial integrity of Spain.”

Responding to the Basque MP the Spanish government sets out the position in 1704 where it was asked what territories came under the Spanish crown then but are not now. The list spans all Spanish America such as Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Cuba, Dominican republic, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and areas of the now USA that cover Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California as well as Puerto Rico. Additionally, Spain’s sovereignty at that time extended to Sardinia, Naples and the low countries as well as various archipelagos in the Pacific including the Philippines, Guam, Mariana Islands and the Carolina Islands.

The response also details that Ceuta and Melilla were already part of Spain in 1704 and only the Chafarinas (islets) was acquired later by occupation in 1848.

“The only territorial claim that Spain maintains over any area is that which derives from the colonial situation of Gibraltar,” says the statement. It adds that the only claim against Spanish territory is Morocco’s over Ceuta, Melilla and various islets but, it adds, these never belonged to Morocco. It also says that Spain’s sovereignty over Olivenza has never been formally or seriously claimed (by Portugal).

http://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=32816

Fredbargate

Spain furious at Gib EU inroads

The Spanish Government is “furious” at Gibraltar’s high profile with EU decision makers, the Rock’s Liberal Democrat MEP, Sir Graham Watson, said yesterday.

“Other national governments are getting more and more frustrated by Spain’s intractable single-mindedness on the issue.”

“We are making our voice heard [and] Madrid is furious,

“Despite the Commission’s verdict on the frontier, they are nonetheless at risk of getting into trouble in Brussels for what they are doing.”

“They are in the wrong, and they know it.”

http://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=32840

pedro pete

No Fred, the Spanish are never wrong. I have yet to have a conversation with a Spaniard where there was any blame for anything.

Fredbargate

Hi pedro I think the Spanish have pushed it so far this time in front of the worlds media that it has backfired on them.

Before the situation was well below the radar of most people and countries, however with todays appetite for 24 hour news plus social media more and more people have got to see the true situation.

Domino

Fred, all this raking up of old treaties and dates of this and that, does it mean that England can claim back Calais ??
Not that we would want it, too many Frenchmen