The declassification of 40 documents shedding light on the days leading up to the mass crossing of immigrants into Ceuta has caused unanimity in the media by confirming that the Intelligence services did warn that the conditions for what happened were present, although obviously this did not translate into figures, as that is impossible to calculate. However, four hours after the declassification, Moncloa, in an attempt to save the narrative that there was no information, has launched an attack to discredit the CNI.
“Following the news published today, the National Intelligence Center wishes to clarify,” they begin in a statement sent to the media through official sources. They then develop two points. In the first, they state that “The declassification shows that the CNI issued information about a social media campaign calling for the assault on the Ceuta fence, although it did not anticipate the magnitude and nature of what ended up happening on the 30th, as it was an unusual phenomenon that does not correspond to the known migratory crises to date.” The second section distributed by Moncloa attributed to the Center states that “the CNI wants to clarify that no assessment or comment has been made regarding the declassification carried out this afternoon and denies any attribution in this regard, as the duty of secrecy has been maintained from the first moment.”
It is the first time in history that the Government points to the CNI as an actor who failed to read the migratory movements that would lead to this attempt to violate Spain’s territorial integrity. But the text is sent by Moncloa, not the CNI nor the Ministry of Defense, although according to consulted sources, the department of Margarita Robles would agree with this document which has not come from the intelligence services but from the Government.
This is a new attack on the Spanish intelligence services, whose professionalism has been publicly questioned by the Government since the massive swimming crossing occurred. Neither the declassification of the documents, which show that the Center did warn, has softened the sanchismo narrative, entrenched in the idea that there was no information. The intelligence services are an easy target, as the Executive knows they will never come out to defend themselves, since they speak through documents. It is the Government that is responsible for declassifying those papers and who, voluntarily, did so this Wednesday to shed light on the events that occurred before the mass crossing.
The CNI warned through notes, reports, and even WhatsApp to the Government delegate in Ceuta. That now the Government drafts a document in which it points out that they self-incriminate regarding the “magnitude” – which is the key word on which their arguments rest – is an exercise to distract attention from the official: the papers that help reconstruct what happened before.
