The death of two civil guards on Friday in an accident while pursuing a drug-running boat nearly 150 kilometers off the coast of Huelva disrupted the Andalusian electoral campaign on Saturday, but did not halt it. And it was far from prompting a political truce. On a full day of mourning in Andalusia, decreed by the regional government of Juan Manuel Moreno, it was the head of his party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, who from Ceuta harshly criticized the central government, specifically the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, whom he accused of “incompetence” and called for his “removal” from office.
On Friday, after the deaths of civil guards Jerónimo Giménez and Germán Pérez became known, the PP suspended its campaign and the Junta declared a day of mourning, that of this Saturday. Faced with Moreno’s candidacy decision, each party chose to act differently. The PSOE also suspended the campaign on Friday and Saturday, including a rally by Pedro Sánchez that was moved to this Sunday in La Línea de la Concepción (Cádiz), a municipality deeply affected by drug trafficking. Por Andalucía and Adelante Andalucía canceled some events but kept others. And Vox maintained its plans, emphasizing that their duty was to continue as usual, and criticized the decision to suspend theirs taken by the others.
So the campaign reached this Saturday destined to be marked by the funeral held in the morning at the Church of the Conception in Huelva, attended by more than a hundred civil guards, the director of the armed institute, Mercedes González, and a broad representation of political leaders, among whom Juan Manuel Moreno and María Jesús Montero stood out, as well as the Secretary of State for Security, Aina Calvo, and the central government delegate in Andalusia, Pedro Fernández. There the popular leader spoke to the media.
“This reminds us again of the situation we lived two years ago in Barbate,” he said, recalling the death of two civil guards in February 2024 on the coast of the Cádiz town after being rammed by a drug-running boat, an event that sparked a wave of outrage and which then led the PP to call for Marlaska’s resignation or dismissal. In the case of Huelva, the deaths also occurred while the agents were fighting drug trafficking, but due to an accidental collision of two Civil Guard boats, not an attack.
There were no direct criticisms of the government from the Andalusian president in Huelva. “Today is a day to mourn, to give love and support to the family, to the family’s friends, to the entire Civil Guard and the National Police […]. There will be time to continue analyzing the situation they face and the material means or human and material resources that our State Security Forces and Corps need to combat this terrible scourge,” he declared.
The script was different for Feijóo, who during a visit to Ceuta expressed himself with extreme forcefulness about Marlaska, drawing applause from those present: “His incompetence has been crying out for his removal for a long time.” The popular leader, who did not clarify whether he was calling for dismissal or resignation, something Marlaska has already been asked for on multiple occasions, accused the government of not “taking seriously” the “protection” of agents fighting drug trafficking. “Enough is enough!” he exclaimed. Feijóo also remembered Barbate: “It is cruel and unfair that what happened two years ago happens again.”
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Montero’s silence
Montero’s campaign, which made no statements in Huelva, also did not break its silence to respond to Feijóo. “We are in a day of mourning,” said a spokesperson for the former minister’s team. That, they added, affects “events” and also “statements.” In Madrid, at a press conference with the Minister of Health, Mónica García (Más Madrid), on the occasion of the arrival in the Canary Islands of the cruise ship linked to a hantavirus outbreak, Marlaska stated that since he came to government in 2018, “more resources” than “ever” have been put into fighting drug trafficking. In eight years, he quantified, 45,000 anti-drug operations have been carried out with more than 30,000 arrests. “We are a reference in international cooperation and in the fight against criminal organizations,” emphasized the Interior Minister.
Vox was the only party that did not move a comma in its agenda. What it did was redirect its attention to the Huelva accident, which was added as a “national priority” as the main issue of the rally held at noon this Saturday in Linares (Jaén). “Captain Jerónimo Jiménez and civil guard Germán Pérez, present!, present in our hearts, present in this square and present in the policies we are going to defend,” began Abascal, in a military-style opening. The harshest was their candidate in Andalusia, Manuel Gavira, who held the PP and PSOE — along with the drug traffickers themselves — responsible for the death of the two officers. After stating that those who “tie up the Civil Guard” are also “guilty,” Gavira said that the police forces could end drug trafficking “in an afternoon.” “But neither those of the PSOE government nor those of the PP are capable, they don’t want to,” he said.
Adelante Andalucía had planned to hold a rally at 12:00 in Málaga, but the event was canceled due to rain. However, its candidate, José Ignacio García, spoke to attendees and the media with words of affection for the two “workers in the fight against drug trafficking” who died, also recalled the tragedy in Barbate and added: “This cannot happen again.” In his speech, he criticized Moreno, accusing him of wanting to convey the idea that “this campaign is over.” In the afternoon, Antonio Maíllo, candidate of Por Andalucía, led an event in Jaén, focusing his message on criticism of the PP and PSOE for the Mercosur agreement and of Vox for being a party of “henchmen” of Donald Trump.
Final stretch
The campaign enters its final stretch, with the polls just a week away, with all surveys forecasting a comfortable victory for Juan Manuel Moreno, who could even renew an absolute majority. Or not renew it, a possibility also considered by the polls. The last pre-election Sunday arrives marked by the death of the two civil guards, and with the top PP representative putting the government in the spotlight.
It remains to be seen whether this tragedy stays at the top of the agenda or other issues come to the fore. The focus shifts this Sunday to Sánchez’s rally in La Línea. On Monday, the second debate between the candidates of the PP, PSOE, Vox, Por Andalucía, and Adelante Andalucía will be held on Canal Sur. This Saturday, Correos reported that it has received 178,540 early voting requests for May 17, 1.11% more than for the June 19, 2022 elections.
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