Not even 16 years of frontier closure was the end of the world

Not even 16 years of frontier closure was the end of the world

Change can bring fear, fear of the unknown. Here and elsewhere people question what the future will bring, with Brexit descending upon us. But whatever it brings, we should take comfort that we have the ability to adapt to changing circumstances; and that the information is that Gibraltar will not do anything to mess things up. 

We can look back to the 16 years of frontier closure, if we survived that we can survive anything thrown at us.

When the Spanish blockade was imposed by the then Spanish government is the 1960s, their representative in the United Nations made the following warning: "The strict application of Spanish customs regulations would totally rule out the passage to Spain of the residents of Gibraltar and would not only suffocate the economic life of the city, but would make it impossible for the inhabitants of Gibraltar to live in forced immobility in such a physically small area."

That was the threat from Spain at the time, but in the end Spain was proved wrong. One hopes they have learnt their lesson.

At the time I wrote at great length about the Spanish attitude to Gibraltar, and the major problems confronting us, in overseas newspapers, such as the prestigious Financial Times - the Spanish blockade was set in motion, and a year later, I wrote what we reproduce today in the print edition.

And what was only the beginning of a blockade, which was intensified with one restriction after another being imposed on our community. The full frontier closure was next, and the Rock and its people survived the onslaught. Sixteen years later, we all survived .

Now, with Brexit, there may be people who are building up concerns and fears. But again, Gibraltar will not be taking any action to harm our neighbours. But our neighbours are already building up concern for their own people.

There is political infighting in Andalucia, with the PP and others in power there being accused of not having done enough by the opposition PSOE/Podemos coalition. This Friday we have a visit of a Podemos delegation to find out what's what.
And what they will find out is that now, as in the past, Gibraltar is looking after itself - and behaving as good neighbours.

29-01-2020 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR