Gulf News published an editorial on Tuesday under the title ‘Spanish Guardia Civil are a disgrace’. I believe that both the title and the contents of the editorial go beyond any legitimate criticism of a foreign government and are an unacceptable attack on the reputation of an internationally respected law-enforcement agency.
The Guardia Civil is one of the main law-enforcement agencies in Spain, a fully democratic country. As all law-enforcement agencies in all democratic countries, the Guardia Civil has the duty to execute the rulings and orders of the judges. As in any other democratic country, the power of the judiciary in Spain is independent.
As Gulf News admits in the editorial, the Spanish Constitutional Court ruled that the referendum called by the Autonomous Government of Catalonia was illegal. The Spanish Constitution was approved by an overwhelming majority of the population of Spain, including the population of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia (87.87 per cent in the whole of Spain and 90.6 per cent, almost three percentage points more, in Catalonia). As practically every other constitution in the world, the Spanish Constitution does not recognise the right for self-determination or secession of any of the territories of Spain, but it grants very high levels of autonomy to the regions and nationalities of my country — including Catalonia.
On October 1, in view of the irresponsible determination of the Autonomous Catalan Government to go ahead with the illegal referendum, the Guardia Civil and the Policia Nacional, following the orders from the judiciary, acted prudently, appropriately and proportionately, in order to ensure compliance with the law and to protect the rights and freedoms of all citizens. The preventive actions undertaken were directed neither at the citizens or their ideas, nor their freedom of expression or of demonstration. The full respect for these freedoms is manifest in the various gatherings that have taken place, with total normality, in different parts of Catalonia in the last weeks and in the information that the media has provided about these events. The actions taken were merely intended to prevent the consultation from taking place, following the organisers’ non-compliance with legality and judicial decisions, and to ensure the safety of all.
State’s right to use force
Unfortunately, a number of the participants in the illegal referendum did not act in a peaceful way and tried to resist the police, as it has been shown in the same television images that you have referred to. The use of force was inevitable to guarantee public order and compliance with the law. While it is true that nobody likes to see images like the ones we have watched, it is also true that in any democratic country, only the state has the right to use force and that the obligation of the public authorities is to uphold the law.
It is misleading to write that more than 800 people were hurt as a consequence of the actions of the Spanish security forces. On Tuesday, only two people involved in the incidents remained in hospital. One of them had been the victim of a heart attack. It is also astonishing that you have decided to omit the fact that 39 members of the Guardia Civil and the National Police were hurt in the clashes.
The Spanish Guardia Civil is not a disgrace. On the contrary, it is a very prestigious and well-respected law enforcement agency. It cooperates with many police and security bodies all over the world. The Guardia Civil does not only provide an exemplary service to the citizens of Spain, including the citizens in Catalonia, but it is also an agency that, through its participation in many international peace-keeping operations, has brought invaluable help and relief to people in many countries.
Antonio Alvarez Barthe is the Ambassador of Spain to the UAE.